


What The Thunderstorms Bring

by afablefromanothertime



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M, Protests, Red Thread of Fate, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Trans Character, Violence, down with the monarchy, eric is a little shit and sunwoo is oblivious to his feelings, fae, faerie hunters, it gets pretty political, kevin is cupid, sangyeon is dad but we been knew, self-indulgent moonbae everywhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:14:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 38
Words: 98,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afablefromanothertime/pseuds/afablefromanothertime
Summary: The fae have long dwelled within nature, separate from the humans who despise them. When the world wants to push them apart, two forces are pulled together.Sunwoo and Eric are destined for each other. But they'll have to fight to keep it that way.
Relationships: Bae Joonyoung | Jacob/Moon Hyungseo | Kevin, Choi Chanhee | New/Lee Juyeon, Kim Sunwoo/Son Youngjae | Eric, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Sangyeon
Comments: 249
Kudos: 329





	1. 1. What's Important To You

**Author's Note:**

> this isnt the first fanfic ive ever written, but it is the first one ive ever published. i'd love for u to leave ur true thoughts in the comments but pls be nice lmao i am very sensitive!!

What’s Important To You

“I want to go to school.”

Kevin blinked and slowly looked up from the book in his lap. He opened and closed his mouth several times, turned his face to the light streaming in from the window for a moment, and then looked back at the boy who’d spoken. Slowly, he closed his book.

“Sunny, we talked about this,” he began. Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “It’s too dangerous because you can’t pass yet. Your magic needs to be stronger so you can disguise yourself.”

Sunwoo reached a hand up to brush his fingers over his pointed ears. “I’ll wear a hat,” he sniffed.

“It’s not that simple, though.” Kevin’s deep eyes were fixed on Sunwoo with that pitying look he should have known would come. “You can ask me all you want, but you know Sangyeon won’t say yes.”

“Yes, yes, everything’s for the good of the clan,” Sunwoo snapped as he tossed himself into the other leather chair in the small reading room, spreading his legs obnoxiously wide. The fire in the pit between the bookshelves was making his long dark coat even stuffier than it was already. “But I’m stuck being holed up in here, literally. What are we, hobbits? Why are we living in a hole in the ground?”

Kevin lunged forward to shut the door to the room. He turned around slowly. “It’s a magically protected hideout, and don’t you dare let anyone else hear you say that.”

“What? That I’m stuck living in a place that runs by a communist society? Everyone has to do their share of the work so we don’t get discovered by the humans, oh no, blah blah blah….”

A knock on the reading room door made Sunwoo jump. Kevin snorted and the younger boy pointedly rested his chin on his fist and looked away. 

The door opened and a fair-skinned, pink-haired boy popped his head in, wide innocent eyes searching for his target. “Sangyeon’s called a clan meeting. He wants you guys in the common room as soon as possible.” 

Kevin grimaced. “Thanks, Chanhee. We’ll be there in a sec, ok?”

Chanhee shrugged as if to say, _It’s your funeral,_ and left without closing the door behind him.

Sunwoo stood to leave, and Kevin grabbed his wrist. “Why come to me about this?” He asked, puzzlement clear in his eyes.

Sunwoo paused, then shrugged carelessly. “You annoy me the least.” He turned and left Kevin behind, sliding into the narrow hallway outside the reading room and following the dirt packed walls as they wound through the earth. 

The common room was the largest room in their hideout, and it was where they held meetings, took their meals, and spent time together when they weren’t desperately trying to get away from each other. 

Sunwoo loitered outside the door so he could arrive last, a difficult feat considering the hallway was only wide enough for one person. Kevin was coming behind him from the reading room, and coming down the hallway from the other direction was his mate. Great. Just Sunwoo’s luck.

Kevin’s face turned to one of coy flirtiness, and Sunwoo ducked out of his way before he could get in the crossfire of Kevin trying out his daily pickup line on the faithfully loyal Jacob. “Sunwoo’s confiding things in me. I told you, I’m a reliable adult figure to him. Look at me go!”

“That’s nice, dear,” Jacob assured him. He dropped Sunwoo a wink, who responded with a thumbs up. He’d lied to Kevin, of course. Jacob had always been his favorite. 

Inside the common room, Sunwoo faced an even worse dilemma. He still refused to remove his coat because he enjoyed the feeling of stalking along like the Grim Reaper himself, but the common room’s fire was blazing almost as hot as the one in the reading room. Six chairs had been dragged forward into a circle for them. Sunwoo surveyed the seating arrangement.  
Sitting next to Kevin and Jacob meant being exposed to PDA the whole time. Changmin was a chatterbox, and Sunwoo wasn’t one for small talk. Sangyeon would nag paternally and manage to pull Sunwoo’s secrets from him however he protested. Sunwoo safely selected Chanhee and dragged his chair back so he wasn’t sitting directly next to anyone else. 

“Sunwoo!” Chanhee turned to him with a bright smile. Okay, so maybe not as safe as he’d hoped. “How are you?” 

Sunwoo stood up again and dragged his chair outside of the circle. Didn’t have to worry about who to sit next to if he sat next to no one at all. 

Chanhee turned back around, and Sunwoo’s stomach unclenched. It was nearly impossible to hurt the older boy’s feelings, he reminded himself. 

Once the six faeries had all settled down, Sangyeon cleared his throat. His tawny brown hair was swept back from his forehead in a typical faerie style. Sunwoo knew wearing his hair with bangs almost to his eyes was viewed as more humanlike, but maybe that was why he did it. And why he didn’t brush his cheekbones with faerie dust to assist his magic like Sangyeon and Jacob did. 

“We’ve encountered a problem,” Sangyeon spoke up. 

“We’re gonna need more details than that,” Sunwoo informed him. 

“Thanks for letting me know.” Sangyeon glanced at Jacob, maybe hoping for someone to back him up, but Jacob was paying more attention to the way Kevin’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight than whatever their leader was saying. “We need to leave.”

That managed to capture everyone’s attention, and tear Kevin and Jacobs’ eyes off each other. “Leave and go where?” Kevin questioned, eyeing the room uncertainly.  
“And for how long?” Changmin chirped. 

“We’re leaving here and not coming back.” Sangyeon sighed and leaned back. “I’m sorry to make this decision without gathering your opinions first, but it was very sudden. We have to go, as soon as possible.” 

Sangyeon glanced out the only window in the room, a small square supported by packed dirt that let in the unfiltered sunlight of the forest above them. Sunwoo followed his gaze. It had begun to drizzle outside, and soon the trees would be drenched in fresh rainwater, the forest floor thick with growth. Sunwoo itched to flee the cramped, overheated room and escape to where he could run in the rain. “There are hunters closing in on the forest,” Sangyeon continued. “I know this has been our home for a very long time—”

“Yeah, only, like, a hundred and seventy nine years,” Kevin muttered in exaggeration. 

Sangyeon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. But I’ve been keeping an eye on them. They won’t just take a look around and leave. They mean to excavate the whole place. They’ll find us, and there are many of them. So we’re leaving here, tomorrow.”

“But you have a place for us to go, right?” Chanhee asked with a raised eyebrow. He seemed amazingly together amidst the clan’s chaos. 

“We’re going into the city.” Sangyeon went so far as to scoot his chair back the moment he said the words, predicting the reaction they’d bring. The rest of the clan exploded in chaos. 

“But you’ve always said that’s the last place we should be!” Sunwoo was on his feet, frustration racing through him at the unfairness of having to move so close to where he wanted to be. The life he wished was his would be right there, in front of him, impossible for him to have. “The forest is safe for us. Nature is where magic is, and the city is filled with the pollution of humans. Our faerie dust won’t work as well there, and not all of us can blend in.”

Sunwoo sat back down like he’d made his point. He knew it was fruitless, though. Sangyeon had made up his mind, and it wouldn’t be changed. 

“I’ve found us a place to stay in the city. It won’t be easy, but maybe the busyness of the city will help us get by.” Sangyeon forced a tone of confidence into his voice. He straightened up and met their eyes, backing the faeries down until they could see his side of things.

“Won’t we have to pay rent, though?” Jacob asked in a small voice.

Sangyeon smiled. “I’ve got that covered. A faerie friend of mine rents out apartments to faeries in need, so it’ll be free of charge. We won’t have to worry about taking human jobs.”

Chanhee shifted. “What about the ingredients I sell for our tea and cake recipes? Normal humans won’t want things like juniper leaves or raw forest berries in their macarons….”

“There are a lot of underground faerie businesses in the city,” Sangyeon promised. “Once we’re there, we’ll have time to figure something out for each of us.”

“How far is the city?” Changmin wondered.

“Far,” Sangyeon said. “It’ll be a day and a half of running.”

“Ugh.” Sunwoo sank down in his chair. “Do we have to?”

Sangyeon’s eyes narrowed. “If you practiced your magic more, you could use faerie dust for extra strength. You’re the one who decided Animal Crossing was more important.” 

“It seemed like it was at the time,” Sunwoo protested to deaf ears. 

“I know we have a lot of memories and belongings here. But you’ll have to pack only what’s important to you. We can only take what we can carry or charm into a smaller form. Try not to spend too much time on sentimentality. Our lives are far more important.” Sangyeon interlocked his fingers and squeezed them together. He looked up from his lap. Every other faerie was staring at him. “Come on, let’s get moving!” 

Sunwoo rose to his feet, coat flapping around him as he shouldered his way out of the room. He shared a bedroom with Chanhee and Changmin, and the other three faeries shared the second bedroom. He wondered what the sleeping arrangement would be like at their new apartment. Would they be in the same building as humans? He shuddered at the thought. How were they supposed to sleep with that stench? Surrounded by buildings instead of trees. No branches to flee to when he needed to hide. 

Sunwoo stood over his bed and stared down at his belongings. 

_Pack only what’s important to you. ___

____

____

He grabbed a backpack and suddenly realized he had no idea what to reach for first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry the first chapter is a little slow, im trying to build up the world and not make things confusing but i also dont want to dump a bunch of information onto you  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twittter  
> @dazzlingsundrop
> 
> Thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	2. 2. Things Left Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet the other side of the narrative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I'd upload the second chapter sooner rather than later! I will probably be uploading the rest of the chapters on Saturdays weekly from now on.

Things Left Unsaid

“How much longer until we're there?” Eric asked as he knocked his head against the car window once again. He was thinking of actually driving his head through the window itself and escaping. 

“The ride gets longer every time you ask,” Haknyeon snickered from the seat behind him. Eric twisted around to pout at him.

“And my anger with you grows hotter every time you open your mouth,” Hyunjae offered from the driver’s seat. Next to him, the only hunter tolerable enough to be offered shotgun, Younghoon snorted in approvable as he turned a page in his book.

Haknyeon had stretched his long legs out in the third row, leaving Eric to be squished next to their gear in the middle row. He was fairly certain the end of Hyunjae’s crossbow was what was currently poking into his side, but he was too certain of that being the case to turn and check.

Younghoon was too engrossed in his faerie history books to keep up a conversation, Hyunjae had spent the entire three hour drive hunched over the steering wheel with his classic rock songs playing from his phone, and Haknyeon was off in his own anime world.

And so Eric had tried to pass the drive with whatever games he had on his phone, but eventually even Candy Crush got old and he found himself staring out the window, watching as they grew closer to their destination.

“Are you sure we’ll be able to get the things we need in the city?” Eric asked.

“I told you. I know a guy,” Hyunjae replied curtly, and that was that.

“The city’s so big, though. What if your trail goes cold?” Eric asked. They’d been tracking a clan of faeries for weeks. Hyunjae was certain they’d find them in the city, where all lost fae flocked for safety in numbers.

“It won’t. This one’s distinct. We’ll find them for sure,” Hyunjae assured.

Eric tucked an AirPod back into his ear and went back to watching the buildings whip past. He wondered what being in a faerie clan was like. Was it similar to their hunter crew? Did they live together, eat together and travel together? Did they know about human culture and study them, the way hunters study faeries?

He knew about faerie customs, every tradition and rule in faerie society and all about their habits and life necessities. He knew every type of fae and their strengths and weaknesses. But he couldn’t know why those came to be.

Eric knew about mating, and the rituals they went through and what they meant. But he didn’t understand how it was possible to be with one person throughout an immortal life.

“Are we stopping by the hotel first? I gotta pee,” Haknyeon whined from behind Eric. The older hunter had stripped off his seatbelt in favor of lying across the back seats on his stomach, eyes glued to his phone.

“Figure it out, then. We’re stopping for supplies first.” Hyunjae barely spared them a glance as he pulled off the highway. Eric excitedly lunged forward to peer out the windshield. Younghoon pulled a bemused smile.

The buildings around them weren’t the beautifully arching glass skyscrapers of downtown, but rather the small shops and cafes that lined the outer city.

“How are we going to get supplies for faerie hunting in a place like this?” Eric wondered, face pressed against the window.

“I know a guy,” Hyunjae offered.

“That sounds super sketchy.” Younghoon raised an eyebrow. “Is he a fellow hunter?”

Hyunjae hesitated as he sloppily parked the car in front of a shop with dark windows. “Not exactly.”

They piled out of the car and stared up at the shop in front of them. It had no name above its door, no sign saying it was open, and even, Eric realized, no street number.

“Are they… open?” Haknyeon asked Hyunjae with wide, questioning eyes.

“Definitely,” Hyunjae said uncertainly.

Haknyeon stepped forward first and pushed the door open. It swung open easily, accompanied by the cheerful sound of a bell jingling.

“Juyeon!” Hyunjae declared as he swept into the shop, arms spread wide as the grin on his face. “It’s been a while, old friend.”

The man behind the counter had a terrible case of resting bitch face. He stared down his long, narrow nose at Hyunjae with an expression of utter disinterest. His blue-gray hair looked damp and was slicked away from his face, giving a vaguely fae look.

Then Eric noticed the pointed ears.

He grabbed Younghoon’s arm, pulling the older boy down to hiss, “This guy’s a faerie!”

Before Younghoon could reply, Juyeon spoke. “How may I help you, sir?”

“Aw, come on, Juyeon!” Hyunjae kept his gaze and easygoing grin fixed on Juyeon even as he moved around the store, picking up various charms and faerie-warding herbs. “These don’t work,” he advised Juyeon as he held up a pile of leaves. “They just smell nice.”

Juyeon ignored him.

“This is Younghoon, Haknyeon, and Eric,” Hyunjae sighed in defeat. Amazingly, Juyeon’s face split into a smile.

“Nice to meet you boys,” he greeted in a friendly tone. “Are you hunters?”

“Well, duh.” Hyunjae’s exasperation was reaching impressive levels. “They’re my crew.”

Juyeon turned back to Hyunjae, his open expression replaced by passive politeness. “What can I help you with, sir?"

Hyunjae dumped an armful of charms and mortar bowls on the counter. “Seriously, Juyeon. Your sense of humor has depleted immensely. What’s become of you?”

Juyeon’s eyes flicked over the items before him while the other boys explored his shop. “That’ll be $21.36.”

Hyunjae laughed and glanced around him before leaning forward. “So, you see— we just came to the city, but we’ll be staying for a while. I don’t really have any money on me at the moment, but I _will_ —” He swept the items off the counter. “--pay you back next time.” He dipped his head to Juyeon with a smile.

“That’ll be $21.36.”

“Aw come on, Juyeon! What about a favor for an old friend!” Hyunjae dumped the items into a startled Younghoon’s arms and whirled on the faerie.

“$21.36.”

“Now, I didn’t want to have to do this, but….” Hyunjae leaned his elbows on the counter and let his fingers fiddle with the top button of his silk shirt. “I’d _really_ like you to help me out here, Juyeon.” He snapped the top button open and trailed a finger along the shirt hem to widen the stretch of golden chest visible.

“Sir, please stop undressing yourself. This is a public facility.”

Hyunjae huffed in annoyance. “Fine.” He turned around and went to help Younghoon stuff the supplies into a bag.

The door chimed open behind them. Eric jumped and turned to see who’d entered the shop.

“Mr. Juyeon! Mr. Juyeon!” A pair of young faerie girls skipped into the shop, wearing matching cotton dresses. One clutched a small stuffed doll.

Juyeon’s face became bright and friendly once again. “I bet you girls are here for the wildflower honey, right? I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into a backroom while the girls squealed in delight.

Eric felt a small hand tug at his elbow. He looked down with a jolt as he saw one of the young girls blinking up at him. “Excuse me,” she said loudly. Haknyeon glanced over curiously. Oh God, what was she going to ask? If he was a hunter? If he’d killed faeries before? What was he supposed to say?

“You’re very cute,” she told him, blushing. Eric couldn’t help but smile as he knelt down beside her.

“Thank you,” he said, bopping her nose. She giggled. “So are you.”

The other girl bounced up next to her, holding a jar of a thick purple liquid. “You say your letters funny,” she told Eric.

“It’s called a lisp,” Younghoon told her from where he’d appeared behind them, looming in his dark trench coat. “Read a book for once and learn something.”

The girls yelped in surprise and bowed at the waist. “Thank you, sir,” they squeaked and scuttled out the door.

“We’d better go too,” Hyunjae advised, hoisting the bag over his shoulder.

“Don’t you have to pay?” Haknyeon wondered.

“Shh! Not so loud! Not while he’s distracted!” Hyunjae hustled them out the door. Younghoon frowned.

“You can button your shirt back up now.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” Hyunjae replied loftily.

“How did you know that faerie, Hyunjae?” Eric asked once they were back in the car.

“Oh, Juyeon’s harmless. He left his clan ages ago. He doesn’t do faerie magic or do any of that drinking baby animals’ blood stuff to stay young. He’s practically mortal,” Hyunjae explained, flapping his hand.

“But don’t faeries use their faerie dust and special nature stuff to sustain their lifeforce?” Haknyeon pressed. “Shouldn’t he be, I don’t know, starving and dying?”

That _special stuff_ was actually unique to each type of fae, and was infused with nature magic, Eric wanted to tell him, but that kind of stuff wasn’t interesting to Haknyeon. Everyone had their specialties: Hyunjae had his crossbow and his iron daggers, Younghoon had his history books, Haknyeon had his clever traps and plans and sleuths, and Eric had his diplomatic knowledge.

Hyunjae shrugged. “I guess he is. Never asked.” His eyes fixed on the road before him, hardening in the late afternoon light. “Not my problem.”

There was more he wasn’t telling them, of course. Things purposefully left unsaid. No hunter just allied with a faerie, no matter how magicless. Especially a hunter like Hyunjae, who could sniff out faerie dust a mile away and hit their heart with a crossbow from half as far.

And if hunters in the city left an easy target like Juyeon alone, then there must be far more demanding prey right beneath their noses. Anyone could blend in in the city. Anyone could be a faerie.

Eric tapped his fingers on his leg, eyes narrowing in thought.

Finding the clan’s trail might be impossible. But finding a replacement wouldn’t be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we've met Eric and the hunters! I'm excited to what everyone thinks of this chapter. leave your thoughts below! comments and kudos are appreciated.  
> follow me on twitter!  
> @dazzlingsundrop
> 
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	3. 3. The Closest He'd Ever Been

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! things will start getting more interesting now...

The Closest He’d Ever Been

Sunwoo’s eyes followed Jacob’s fingers as they traced the delicate guitar charm around his neck. The six faeries stood outside the brick building they were soon to call home, worrisome expressions etched on their faces.

“I’d like to find a faerie market soon, if possible, so we can have some comforts from home,” Sangyeon spoke up, an attempt to raise their spirits. “I know it’ll be different from the marketplace we’re used to, but hopefully they’ll have everything we like.”

The rest of the clan was silent, and Sangyeon sighed and led them into the hulking brick monstrosity. Sunwoo hadn’t so much as seen a single tree since they arrived in the city. It was a tangled maze of gray and _human. _Nothing but tall buildings and concrete sidewalks and loud, noisy cars.__

__The chatter of birds in trees and chitter of squirrels had been replaced by slobbering dogs and hooting pigeons which left their excrement all over the sidewalk. Sunwoo tiptoed around the offending white spots cautiously, keeping his handcrafted leather boots out of harm’s way._ _

__Sunwoo felt the cold, emotionless walls press in around him as they ascended the winding staircase up to their apartment. He couldn’t fathom having to do this every time he came home. Perhaps he could find a way to sleep outside._ _

__Sangyeon led them to a battered wooden door at the end of a narrow hallway. The wooden floorboards creaked under their footsteps, the only noise besides the faint city clamor of outside. Sunwoo placed a hand on the door as they entered. This was an old tree that had long since been separated from its trunk. It had known many years of use and pain. This was not wood that had been loved._ _

__Sunwoo felt his hatred for humans bubble up inside him and choked it down as he stepped inside. “Where do I put my stuff?” He demanded, eyes skimming over the small kitchen area, living room, and cramped bathroom._ _

__“There are three bedrooms,” Changmin explained, poking his head down a small hallway. “Looks like we’ll be in twos.”_ _

__“I call Chanhee,” Sunwoo snapped, grabbing the pink-haired faerie and dragging him into the smallest bedroom he had ever seen. The two twin beds were crammed into the corners with not much room for anything else. A sagging dresser sat next to the door, a tiny desk separating the beds beneath the single window. Sunwoo crossed to the window and rubbed a sleeve over the dusty glass. All he could see was the street below, clogged with human pedestrians and their smoking cars. He let out an empathetic cough and turned away._ _

__Sunwoo laid his backpack down on one of the beds and dumped out its contents. His phone, that he’d scored from a closed Apple store several years ago, his Nintendo Switch and Animal Crossing CD, a few recipe notebooks, a half-eaten box of his favorite cookies, and a jar of faerie dust. A century of life’s belongings spread out in front of him._ _

__Chanhee crunched noisily on an apple behind him, and Sunwoo turned in annoyance to see the older faerie staring at him. “Wanna come to the marketplace?” Chanhee asked before Sunwoo could lose his slowly boiling temper._ _

__“Sure,” Sunwoo said immediately, because he couldn’t stand to be in this apartment for any longer. He pocketed his phone and followed Chanhee back out to the living area._ _

__Sangyeon had swept a black cloak over his shoulders, the hood drawn to hide his horns and ears. “We should be safe at the faerie market. Hunters usually stay away because it’s a peaceful scene, and normal humans who come to gawk have no bad intentions.”_ _

__Sunwoo didn’t mention that they’d stand out anyway without the ears. Their flowing white blouses, leather breeches, long coats and handmade boots differed greatly from the human fashion trends of long T-shirts, hoodies, and ripped skinny jeans. Not to mention the horns only woodland fae possessed. He knocked the toe of his boot against the floor and heard it echo, and missed the soft forest floor where grass and moss let his feet sink into them and grounded him._ _

__“I actually have room here to unshrink my guitar,” Jacob told them excitedly as he and Kevin rejoined the group._ _

__“You mean that charm you always wear is actually an instrument?” Changmin demanded to know._ _

__“Well, yeah. But I didn’t have any room to play it at the old place.” Jacob ran a hand over his slicked hair. He’d washed his face of faerie dust, but his delicate features were still too fair to be human._ _

__Sangyeon led them back outside, and Sunwoo felt his shoulders relax the moment he felt the sun, however clouded, hit his face. His energy began to swirl back to him, the drowsiness detaching its claws and leeching away from his bones._ _

__“I’ve got a grocery list that I can take care of, if you lot want to run ahead.” The words had barely left Sangyeon’s lips before Sunwoo was racing off, his feet carrying him to the downtown. He was eager to find _some _sort of nature here, be it a park or even a succulent store before he lost his mind entirely.___ _

____He soon left his clan far behind, reaching a quieter part of town that slowed his racing mind. He stopped outside a small shop for no reason in particular, and examined the window. The display told him it was a used book store._ _ _ _

____Curiosity and hope that it may hold faerie books had him wandering inside. There were more humans inside than he felt comfortable with, and he quickly made his way to the back of the small store._ _ _ _

____Sunwoo found with a small stab of delight that they had a small faerie section. It was mostly books about faeries written by humans, but he noticed a few distinguished fae authors. They were most likely human passing, and only fae would be aware of their true identities._ _ _ _

____Sunwoo pulled a book by one faerie author off the shelf, a myth busting book about faerie rumors. Most of humans’ fears about faeries stemmed from rumors made up by their own kind. He thumbed through it, humming in amusement._ _ _ _

____“Most of those are fake,” a voice told him. Sunwoo snapped the book closed, his head whipping towards the source of the voice. A human boy was standing in front of him, silvery hair tucked under a black cap. As Sunwoo stared at him, the boy stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie uncomfortably._ _ _ _

____“They’re mostly made up by humans,” the boy continued. “If you want real facts on fae, you’re better off gathering it in the field yourself.”_ _ _ _

____“How would you know that?” Sunwoo asked coldly after a moment. He had no idea if this boy knew he was a faerie or not. This was, he realized suddenly, the closest he’d ever been to a human. He’d never even spoken to one before._ _ _ _

____“I know a lot about faeries,” the boy boasted. Sunwoo felt himself smirking._ _ _ _

____“I don’t care,” he told the human, and placed the book back on the shelf._ _ _ _

____The boy watched as he turned and left. “Oh. Okay.” Those two words spoken in a small voice carried themselves on a nonexistent breeze with Sunwoo as he exited the book shop._ _ _ _

____Once Sunwoo stood back out on the street, he realized he was faced with a dilemma. He did not know where he was, nor did he know where his clan was._ _ _ _

____Sunwoo stood hesitating on the street corner for a moment before his phone alerted him to a message, and he let out a breath of relief as he saw a text from Chanhee. The relief died when he saw what it said._ _ _ _

_I think Sangyeon left the market and he’s just kind of wandering around mingling with humans I’m watching him from here and it’s really funny but I’m also kind of worried he might accidentally alert a hunter to the fact that there’s a new clan here so if u wanna do something to help him pls do, he’s so bad at blending in_

__

__

__Sunwoo crammed the phone back into his pocket and took off down the sidewalk, the air from the few trees around him filling his lungs with fresh power. His boots hit the cracked concrete and propelled him forward at impossible speeds, before he realized where he was and slowed down. Flying full speed in the middle of a city filled with humans could not be a good idea._ _

__

__

______He forced his body to slow down, and felt like he was swimming through mud. Running slowly was painful when he was meant to be running full out through dappled trees on a summer afternoon with no one but the birds and deer to watch over him._ _ _ _ _ _

______Finally he glimpsed Sangyeon ahead of him as he returned to the bustling downtown district. Sunwoo sprinted forward as their clan leader wandered away from him, barrelling into a group of three humans who just barely jumped out of the way. A dark-haired boy with his nose stuck in a book was nearly bowled over._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Dude, he almost _wrecked _you, Younghoon,” the boy’s friend cackled.__ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sunwoo didn’t glance back as he reached Sangyeon’s side. “What are you doing?” He demanded, never short of breath. “Chanhee told me you wandered away from the market.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I didn’t wander away,” Sangyeon promised. “I finished getting everything I needed, and I decided to explore. What have you found, Sunwoo?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sunwoo noted the jug of cinnamon berry lemonade tucked under Sangyeon’s arm, as well as the box of almond squirrel cookies. His stomach rumbled. He wondered if there were any faeries cafes in the city. He would almost _kill _for a cucumber rabbit sandwich. They were supposed to bring you good luck, and he could definitely use some of that right now.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Some books. I didn’t buy anything, though.” Sunwoo glanced around him, realizing now that they’d drifted away from the faerie marketplace he needed to keep an eye out for hunters._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Let me know if you see anything you want!” Sangyeon told him, freeing up an arm to ruffle Sunwoo’s dark red hair. The younger faerie yelped and tugged his hood back in place. “I’m telling everyone to meet back at the marketplace in ten minutes, if you want to head back with me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sunwoo did not like the sound of standing around with only Sangyeon for company for ten minutes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll meet you guys there,” he said, and turned away. He quickly realized he now needed to find something to do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Wandering back the way he’d come, he spotted an ice cream shop. Perfect. A warm day like this, the line should be long enough that he could make a dramatic late entrance meeting up with the others._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Evidently, he was not the only one who’d had the idea to get ice cream at the end of their shopping trip. When he finally reached the front of the line, someone barrelled in front of him, panting. Sunwoo’s eyes widened when he saw who it was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hi— Excuse me, I’m sorry— Could I just get, like, a bag of ice? I bumped into this guy and he fell and sprained his ankle or something— I don’t really know what happened, I’m not a doctor, man— But you must have a bag of ice or an ice pack or something like that, right? I mean, you’re an ice cream shop so you have cold stuff, right? I don’t have any money on me but I’d really like if you could get me something like that for free, please please please please please?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The girl behind the counter stared, stunned, as Kevin leaned his elbows on the counter, chest heaving. “Please?” He offered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Give me a sec,” the human girl told him, and she disappeared._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, hey Sunwoo,” Kevin grinned at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’re in between me and my ice cream,” Sunwoo growled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, please, they only have human flavors anyway. Holly berries are the best but they’re poisonous to humans.” Kevin tapped his foot. “What do you think is taking her so long?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The girl reappeared a moment later. “Here’s your ice pack,” she said, handing a bag of ice to Kevin. “And this, on the house.” She blushed as she handed him a small pint of chocolate fudge ice cream and a spoon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kevin blinked. “Huh?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sunwoo choked down his snort of laughter and the urge to tell this girl she was barking up the wrong tree._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s… for you. On the house.” The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, next?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kevin shrugged. “Sweet!” He ran outside with the ice cream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Can I get a scoop of gooseberry?” Sunwoo asked, tapping his fingers against the counter. The girl paused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Isn’t that a faerie flavor?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Shit. Was it?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Is it?” Sunwoo asked vaguely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We don’t have it,” the girl told him uncertainly. Sunwoo sighed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll just get strawberry sherbet, then.” The girl looked relieved and was more than happy to help him with his human flavor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sunwoo followed Kevin outside and saw him kneeling next to a boy sitting at one of the tables outside the ice cream shop. The boy was eating out of the chocolate fudge pint like it was his own, while Kevin pressed the bag of ice against his ankle. The two were happily chatting away like they were old friends._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________With a jolt, Sunwoo recognized the human boy as the one who’d bothered him in the used book store. He moved closer to listen to their conversation, and realized in irritation that they were speaking in English._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hey again!” The boy had noticed him and gave him a friendly wave._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sunwoo ignored him and stared into his ice cream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh my God, hey Sunwoo. Wanna hear the craziest story? I got lost and couldn’t find Jacob and then I bumped into this poor kid and he fell down and hurt his ankle and turns out he’s from LA and he speaks English! Also, he just came to the city like us but his parents live here and he’s going to the high school here soon. His name’s Eric,” Kevin finished proudly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sunwoo grunted and stirred his ice cream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hi,” said Eric._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Mmph,” Sunwoo replied, shoving strawberry sherbet into his mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“There you guys are! Sangyeon’s looking for both of you.” Changmin jogged up to them and looked from Kevin to Sunwoo to Eric. “Are you guys busy or something?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Nope, my friends are here!” Eric pointed eagerly to a small group of humans who’d just come to stand behind him. Sunwoo realized belatedly, after they’d been staring at him for a few moments, that they were the ones he’d nearly slammed into on his way to Sangyeon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Glad to see you’re making friends,” said a man with pale bleached hair like Eric’s. He squeezed Eric’s shoulders tightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Eric squirmed and protested, “I’m always good at making friends, Hyunjae.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Let’s go,” Sunwoo muttered, grabbing Kevin and dragging him along. As they passed Eric’s friends, Kevin brushed up against Hyunjae and the human sneezed. He turned to watch them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Wait!” Sunwoo froze as Eric grabbed Kevin’s elbow. For a second all he heard were his own hearts beating. Then Eric asked, “Do you have Instagram, or something? We should follow each other!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kevin’s face lit up. “Yeah, totally!” He pulled out his phone, and Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “You should follow my boyfriend too, he’s really into music and stuff….”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sunwoo turned and walked towards Changmin. Kevin could show up last for all he cared. But he didn’t want to stand around and listen to him pretend to befriend a human._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Still, he turned back around just in time to see Eric’s eyes on him as he leaned forward to whisper something in Kevin’s ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they finally meet omg! was it a coincidence, or is it fate? leave your thoughts below! comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop
> 
> Thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	4. 4. Signs From the Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric's POV of the last chapter is here, and he's made a strange request of Kevin. What's he planning to do...?

Signs From the Universe

Eric made a face as he rifled through the stuff they’d gotten from Juyeon’s place.

“What do you need this for?” Haknyeon asked with a laugh as he held up a jar of frog’s legs.

“Those are for his morning smoothies,” Younghoon intercepted. Eric and Haknyeon howled with laughter.

“They are _not_!” Hyunjae twisted around to face the backseat in a vain attempt to clear his name from such slander. “You can use them to store a faerie’s heart.”

__“Are you planning on stealing lots of hearts? You’re going to have to dress better first,” Haknyeon informed him. “I’ll be your wingman, though!”_ _

Hyunjae was reaching the point of utter _done_ ness with Haknyeon. “Don’t you pay attention to anything hunters are supposed to know? Eric, I can’t say anything to him without him making fun of me. Please explain the two heart thing in a simple enough way for his brain cell to understand." 

__

____Eric bolted upright in his seat. “Ooh, yes! Okay, so faeries have two hearts, right?”_ _ _ _

____Haknyeon grumbled and sat back in his seat, resigned to his fate._ _ _ _

____“So their first heart is in the normal place.” Eric patted his chest, where his heart was quickening its pace as a result of his excitement. He so rarely got to give an information dump like this. “But their second heart can be anywhere they want it to be. They can even move it around at will! Don’t ask me about the biology or physics of that, though. It’s my job to know the facts, not understand them. But then if they mate, cause you know, faeries mate for life, right? Even though they’re immortal they have one immortal-lifelong partner, which is pretty cute. But then if they mate, they _take out _their second heart and give it to their mate! And then their mate keeps it hidden somewhere even the faerie whose heart it is doesn’t know. It’s a symbol of how much they trust their mate. Neat, right?"__ _ _ _ _

______Haknyeon had gone impressively cross-eyed. “Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Without their second heart, faeries are a lot weaker. They’re almost like normal humans. And of course, we have to stab both hearts for them to die. So if we find a faerie’s second heart, and we can keep it nice and preserved with those frog legs, it’ll stay fresh for longer until we find the faerie it belongs to and kill them, if they deserve it.” Eric finished his lengthy explanation with a satisfied sigh._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No need to bring justice into it,” Younghoon piped up._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Huh?” Eric tilted his head in confusion._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You said ‘if they deserve it.’ What does that mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eric froze under the sudden spotlighted question. “I just meant… well, the faeries we hunt are the violent ones. So like, if we find an innocent faerie’s heart, we obviously wouldn’t kill them, you know.” He forced a tone of confidence over his words, but failed to mask his own uncertainty._ _ _ _ _ _

______“All fae are violent. They live off of woodland creatures and drink the blood of baby animals to stay forever young. There isn’t a single innocent faerie alive.” Hyunjae’s cool tone cut across the car and caused silence to fall._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eric fidgeted with his fingers and thought of the little girls he’d met in Juyeon’s shop. “Right. Yeah.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______They parked outside a rundown hotel just outside the downtown area. “You should probably call your parents,” Hyunjae told Eric. He swallowed._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______While the three older hunters unloaded their things from the car, Eric grabbed his phone and walked a few blocks into downtown. One of the few things he’d had to agree on when he told his family he wanted to become a hunter._ _ _ _ _ _

______If he ever came into the city for a job, which he was encouraged to do frequently, he had to stay at his family’s house. And he had to continue school._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eric’s thumb hovered over his mother’s number. He’d continued with high school online while on the road, but now that he was back in the city, his mother would surely force him into going to his old high school again._ _ _ _ _ _

______Sighing, he gave in and called her. She picked up immediately. “Eric! Honey, are you back in the city already?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, Mom. We just arrived. I’m gonna help the guys settle in at the hotel, and then I’ll come see you and Dad, okay?” He held his breath as he prepared for her protests._ _ _ _ _ _

“Alright, sweetie. I guess we’ll wait a little longer to see you. Just watch out for those faeries, okay?” Eric gritted his teeth. “I’ve cooked you a nice, warm, _human_ meal so you can relax and forget about all the horrible stuff you’ve probably seen!"

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

________“Thanks, Mom,” Eric said, and quickly hung up. Some days he was confused on whether his parents hated the fact that he was a hunter, or whether they liked it more than he did._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He wasn’t feeling too hot about returning to the others just yet, so he decided to wander in and out of some shops to clear his head. As Eric was leaving a used book store, someone slammed into him, knocking him to the ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He sprawled onto the concrete, his ankle twisting painfully beneath him. His phone clattered to the ground beside him as he clutched his ankle, hissing through his teeth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, shit, dude, I am so so sorry, I totally didn’t see where I was going… are you alright?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The boy above Eric was rambling in English as he knelt down to help Eric up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t think I can stand,” he responded in English._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The boy’s eyes widened. “Oh.” He glanced around them. “Uhh, wanna hop over to that chair?” He pointed to a small round table outside an ice cream place. Eric shrugged._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wait here, I’ll get you some ice or something.” The boy turned around, then immediately turned back. “I’m Kevin, by the way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Eric,” Eric chirped in response._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kevin grinned and vanished inside. Eric winced as he shifted his weight in the chair, failing to get comfortable. His phone, thankfully, wasn’t damaged and he was able to text Hyunjae the situation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kevin reappeared a few moments later, a bag of ice and also, a pint of chocolate ice cream in his hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You took the time to get yourself ice cream?” Eric asked in amusement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“She gave it to me for free, okay?” Kevin defended himself, handing the ice cream to Eric and settling down on the ground to press the ice to his ankle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They chatted for a while about how they’d both just moved to the city, and Eric learned that Kevin was several years older and in college. Kevin glanced up when a hooded boy in a long dark coat emerged from the ice cream shop behind them. Eric immediately recognized him as the boy he’d attempted to talk to in the used book store._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hey again!” He greeted the boy with a smile. The boy ignored him, and Kevin burst into an enthusiastic recount of everything that had just occurred. Eric tried once again to greet the boy, who studiously ignored him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Another boy jogged up to join them, and Eric breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the other hunters. Kevin and his friends looked startled at the sudden appearance of Eric’s friends behind them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Haknyeon slipped Eric’s arm around his shoulders to help him stand, thanking Kevin for his help. As Kevin passed him, Eric grabbed the boy’s elbow. After exchanging Instagrams, Eric couldn’t help but feel like something else was missing. This was the second time they’d happened to bump into each other today. It couldn’t be a coincidence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It had to be fate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kevin’s moody friend had already walked on without him, so Eric was in the clear to lean in and make his request. “Your friend’s really cute, you think I could get his number?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kevin gave him what could only be described as a wicked grin and was more than happy to oblige._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It was partially the truth. What Eric had managed to glimpse of the boy’s face was definitely his type, but it was more intrigue at the way the universe seemed to be pushing them together. And Eric was never one to ignore signs from the universe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________As Kevin left, Hyunjae sneezed. His eyes narrowed. “Faerie dust,” he hissed to the other hunters._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Eric laughed. “Are you sure? From Kevin? Not a chance.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hyunjae lifted a brow. “How can you be sure?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, he was telling me all about this community college he goes to! They have all these crazy paintball fights, and they act them out all like an old western movie, but one time it was Star Wars themed! How many faeries do you know that go to community college?” Eric limped more confidently in satisfaction with his point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That sounds like a show I watched on Netflix,” Haknyeon said thoughtfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Anyway, no way Kevin’s a faerie,” Eric told them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Either way, I want to keep an eye on him.” Hyunjae crossed his arms as they walked back to the hotel. “The city’s crawling with faeries. We can’t do anything on suspicion, but if one happens to present itself to us, we can’t resist the opportunity to cleanse the world of one more monster.”

A chill made its way through Eric, which was probably due to the large amount of ice cream he had just consumed. Haknyeon was eyeing the pint in his hand, no doubt planning to snatch it from him the moment they made it to the hotel.

“I think I have some first aid stuff to fix your ankle,” Hyunjae spoke up, suddenly remembering Eric’s injury. Despite the irony, for hunters, it was always faeries first, humans second.

“Thanks,” Eric gritted, and glanced down at his phone and the new number that had been entered into it. _Kim Sunwoo. ___

____

_I’m not going to let you go,_ he thought. _It’s the universe that wants me to text you, so that’s why I’m doing this._

__

_____ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

Sunwoo’s nonchalant gaze burned into the backs of his eyes as he limped his way up to the hotel room, burning as deep as the setting sun.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to get pretty heated soon... how do you think Eric's plan is going to turn out?  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop
> 
> Thank you for reading, baby trees!  
> ~Li
> 
> EDIT FROM THE FUTURE!!: What Kevin described to Eric was actually the plot of Community. Bonus points to me cause I didn't know that Kevin actually DOES watch Community when I wrote this!


	5. 5. A Door Too Big to Close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Kevin and you should too

A Door Too Big to Close

“Heyyy there, loverboy.”

Sunwoo was immediately jumped by Kevin the moment he entered the apartment and dragged into the bedroom the older faerie shared with Jacob. He’d never been into any of the other rooms besides his own, and noted that Kevin’s was unfairly larger than his. There was even enough room for Jacob’s guitar to be propped up carefully in the corner.

“Guess what I did for you.” Sunwoo dragged his eyes back to meet Kevin’s, wariness creeping into his hearts as he recognized the look of mischief within them. 

“What.” Sunwoo leaned back from Kevin as he spoke, preparing to distance himself from whatever evil surprise Kevin had prepared. 

“I gave Eric your number.” 

Sunwoo blinked. Who? 

“Who?”

“You know, that human kid whose ankle got twisted! He asked for your number, so—”

“So you _gave it to him?”_ Sunwoo’s dubiousness melted into anger. What the hell did Kevin think he was playing at?

“Oh come on, Sunwoo! Have a little fun, won’t you? Besides, I doubt he’ll text you anyway. I bet he just thought you were into him cause he kept seeing you around.” Kevin flapped a hand nonchalantly, irritating Sunwoo even further.

“What do you mean, kept seeing me around?” Sunwoo growled. Just how much gossiping had Kevin and Eric done?

“Well, he did say _hey again_ when he saw you, so I assumed you’d met before. You weren’t very friendly to him, though. Maybe he’s into the strong and silent type? I should probably warn him then, you’re not as silent as people think you are when—”

“Okay, fine.” Sunwoo’s mind had begun racing again. The fact that on his first day in the big city he happened to be bumping into the same humans over and over again hadn’t sat well with him. When you saw a hunter more than once, it usually meant the next time, they’d be standing over you with a knife. And while it wasn’t likely that Eric was a hunter— he seemed far too friendly with strangers for that— Sunwoo had decided he wouldn’t trust any human, ever. 

He especially didn’t need Kevin’s meddling and the likelihood that he’d only be seeing more of these humans. He had enough to worry about without that cute human boy bouncing around in his brain. 

No. Wait. Not cute. Eric wasn’t cute. He didn’t know why that had popped into his thoughts. 

Sunwoo shook himself and glared at Kevin. “He _better_ not text me, or I’ll put chilli powder into your pine nut soup and make you sneeze for hours.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes. “Fine. But I have no control over what he does.”

“Whatever he does, it’ll be your fault.”

Kevin paused. “Okay, fair. But if you end up with a cute human boyfriend, that’ll also be my fault.” He winked and left Sunwoo alone.

Kevin didn’t mean anything bad by it, but his casualness annoyed Sunwoo more than it should. Kevin joked around about interspecies relationships, but if anything actually happened, it’d be far more dangerous than they could handle. Kevin had opened a door far too big for him to close by himself. 

Messing around with humans was bad. Humans were bad. Sunwoo wished he had a tree filled clearing or sunlit meadow he could run to to properly clear his head, but leaving the apartment meant replacing his cluttered thoughts with smog and traffic. 

Well, he knew one thing for sure. Nothing good would come of what Kevin had done. He didn’t need to clear out the rest of his thoughts to understand that one.

Sunwoo returned to his bedroom and spent the next half hour pacing around the small space while Chanhee sprawled out across both their beds to watch _The Little Mermaid._ It was Chanhee’s favorite Disney movie, and one of the few Sunwoo had never seen, despite his pride on being the most human-aware in the clan. He’d always assumed he would be able to blend in the best in a human society, had always longed to be able to, but the second he set foot in the city he realized it was so much more different from what he’d thought it would be. 

Every second he was under scrutiny, humans eyes everywhere, constantly watching. There was no chance to stop and collect himself and take a breath like there was in the forest. The watchful eyes of birds perched high on their branches were so distant from the everpresent security cameras posted in every store and room and hallway and nook and cranny.

Sunwoo pulled air into his lungs and pushed out a forceful breath. He had to remember to breathe. In the forest, air came naturally, the trees replenishing his lungs and never letting him forget. Here, if he forgot himself for even a moment, he would be swept away into the frothing mass of chaos. 

His phone vibrated. Sunwoo’s stomach clenched for a moment, and he sat down slowly on the edge of the bed before he could sink to the floor. He clutched his head. _Get a grip,_ he told himself. _You’re losing it._

He checked his phone and nearly dropped it. When he saw the notification, he figured he’d welcome a distraction. Then he read what it said. This was not a distraction he needed.

_hey, it’s eric. u know, the guy ur friend kevin bumped into at the ice cream place? i also saw u at the bookstore, and u were reading that faerie myth book? well u ran off before i could say anything, but i thought it was cool that u were reading a faerie author. not many ppl know which authors of those books are fae and which are human, but i was curious if u knew. so i told u they were myths to see how u’d react. and seeing how u reacted i figured u knew. i kinda wanted to talk more about the book and stuff cause it was cool that u didnt care it was written by a faerie. so like, thats why im texting u btw. this is eric btw._

Sunwoo reread the text message three times before he had to set his phone down. What the fuck. What the actual fuck, Kevin? He seriously hoped Sangyeon had bought chilli powder at the faerie market. 

This dumbass human kid had actually texted him? Why on earth would he—

Sunwoo reread the text again, growing more suspicious. Why was he so into the fact that Sunwoo had been reading a book by a faerie?

Was it possible he was a faerie himself?

No. Not worth getting his hopes up.

He texted back, _Don’t message this number again._

Eric’s reply came almost immediately. _oh. omg im so sorry. is this not sunwoo???_

_This is Sunwoo._

Sunwoo realized his mistake the moment he hit send. He should have just pretended Kevin had given Eric the wrong number. But now he’d gone and confirmed it was him. And if he’d learned anything about Eric from the hour they’d known each other, it was that Sunwoo had just made it impossible to get the boy to leave him alone.

Although, they didn’t know each other, he corrected himself. They were barely acquaintances. They’d spoken once. They were more like strangers.

_oh!! ok good. ok ok uhhh_

Eric seemed to be content with just that message, because he wasn’t typing anything else. Sunwoo shrugged and shut off his phone, booting up Animal Crossing instead. Might as well get some gametime in so this day wasn’t a total waste of life. 

_do u wanna meet up sometime and talk about books n stuff_

Sunwoo sighed. Of course Eric would be persistent.

_sorry that sounded lame and nerdy lol i dont think ur a nerd dw_

_No._ Sunwoo typed a quick response and tossed his phone behind him, forgetting that Chanhee was also on his bed.

“Ow,” Chanhee offered as Sunwoo’s phone whacked him on the head. The pink-haired faerie tossed Sunwoo’s phone back, probably unbothered because he had enough brain cells to spare a few.

_okokok cool. well we can just chat over text then :-D_

_I’d rather not._

_lolol ur so funny_

Sunwoo wrinkled his nose. Funny? How was he being funny? Did humans not have a sense of humor? He hadn’t picked up on that from his late night movie binges as part of his study on human behavior. 

_whyd u pick that book_

_i mean there were a lot there_

Sunwoo groaned loudly. Chanhee shot him an annoyed look and turned up the volume on _Kiss the Girl,_ singing along softly.

_I don’t know. It’s just the one I grabbed._

Shit. He really needed to stop responding. The more he replied, the more dedicated Eric would become.

_i prefer books by fae authors cause ur more likely to get real facts. most humans either make shit up for clout or theyre super biased._

Sunwoo’s eyes narrowed. He decided to give up on being aloof. Eric was too weird for him to not give in to his curiosity.

_Why are you so interested in faeries?_

_are u not_

Sunwoo drummed his fingers on his thigh. Well, he had a point there. Humans tended to gawk at faeries whenever they saw them, drawn to this creature that was so much like them but so different. Most didn’t think of faeries as people at all.

_They’re weird. I don’t know. I guess I was just curious._

_why would u say theyre weird lol thats so mean_

Sunwoo’s eyebrows shot skyward. _Mean?_ What the hell was Eric talking about? Just what kind of human was he?

_Why do you think it’s mean?_

_i mean theyre people too lol_

Sunwoo felt himself lost for words. What was he supposed to say to that? He couldn’t exactly text, _Surprise! I’m actually a faerie, SIKE!_

_Do you know any faeries?_

Sunwoo held his breath as he waited for those three dots to disappear. Why was he so nervous about what Eric would say?

_no but i wish i did_

_having a faerie friend would be so cool_

_Why?_

Sunwoo smirked as he saw that Eric appeared to be stumped at his question. The three dots keep appearing and disappearing. He tapped his foot on the floor, shoulders slowly relaxing. He was enjoying this.

_i mean_

Sunwoo sat forward, stomach clenching again.

_to show that humans and fae can be friends u know cause everyone thinks that we shouldn’t be_

_We?_

_yeah, us and faeries_

For a moment Sunwoo thought Eric had meant he himself was a faerie. But Sunwoo was starting to see he was just a very rare type of human.

_That’s nice. This has been fun. Goodbye._

Sunwoo cursed himself for being so weird, but he had no idea how else to wrap up the conversation so he could sort through his thoughts. He’d never talked to anyone outside his clan before, let alone a human. 

The next message Eric sent made him squeak in surprise. It wasn’t words, but a picture. A selfie, actually. Eric had replaced his cap with a pale pink beanie and was beaming up at the camera, posing with a peace sign next to his face.

Sunwoo felt the corners of his lips threaten to tug upwards. He dropped his phone so he could use his fingers to tug them downwards again. This human brought him no joy. 

_send one back!!!_

_No._

Sunwoo shut off his phone and left it in his room as he went out. He didn’t need it distracting him anymore. He didn’t care about the bad influence the city might have on him, he needed to get out. And he needed to find some trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eric is so very stubborn and I'm loving writing him so much  
> also if u read 'SIKE!' in joshua hong's voice i love you  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> Thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	6. 6. One of a Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next few chapters are a bit short, but they're focused more on worldbuilding and expanding on some lore! i hope you enjoy :-)

One of a Kind

“What are you doing?”

Eric cackled and rolled around on the hotel bed, Younghoon dodging out of his way as Hyunjae’s makeshift cast nearly brained him.

“Eric’s giggling like a schoolgirl and it’s scaring me.” Haknyeon peeked over the top of his map in fear.

“He texted me back,” Eric sighed, resting his chin on his hand and gazing down at the selfie he’d sent. Sunwoo hadn’t sent one back, but he would next time, Eric was sure of it.

“Jesus, you have a boyfriend already? It’s only our first day here, kid,” Hyunjae laughed, unpacking his crossbow. The iron tips came tumbling out onto the bed, the quickest and most efficient way to pierce a faerie’s hearts. 

“He’s not my boyfriend, I barely know him!” Eric protested, rolling around until he could wiggle himself to a sitting position. “But he will be soon.” 

“Cool, so you have plans to marry a boy you just met. Very Princess Anna of you, but okay.” Haknyeon rolled his eyes and went back to tracing out blueprints.

“Whatever. It’s not like you guys have done anything nearly as cool while we’ve been here.” Eric grinned. 

Hyunjae smiled. “No, but we will.” He continued pulling things out of his backpack, and Eric propped his chin on his hands to watch him. Hyunjae pulled a small doll out of the bag and placed it on the nightstand. Eric leaned over and plucked it out of Hyunjae’s hands before he could protest. 

The doll was a soft blue puppy that had clearly been hand stitched, with green button eyes and loose threads sticking out on all sides. 

“Where’d you get this doll from?” Eric asked with a laugh.

Hyunjae grinned. “Oh, you know.” 

Eric traced the doll with his finger. It looked familiar.

“It’s kind of like that doll the little girl in Juyeon’s shop had,” he pointed out. He turned to look at Hyunjae.

“Yeah, guess so.”

Eric sat up with a jolt. Something he’d heard the little girl saying to her friend before they’d come up to him.

_“Do you like my doll? My mommy made it for me herself! It’s one of a kind.”_

Eric’s heart thumped loudly. “This _is_ that little girl’s doll.”

The room fell silent. Hyunjae lifted an eyebrow. “So what if it is?”

Eric’s hand tightened around the stuffed puppy. “What did you do to them?”

“It shouldn’t matter. They’re faeries, Eric. Why do you care? We’re hunters, it’s our job—”

“It’s our job to get rid of violent faeries who are threats! Not harmless little girls!” Eric’s vision began to blur. He rubbed at his eyes angrily. 

“No faeries are harmless!” Hyunjae’s eyes were blazing with anger now, Haknyeon and Younghoon stunned into silence. “Those _little girls_ would eventually grow up to be monsters. It’s better than we got them now before they mated and became harder to kill.”

Eric swallowed. “So while I was out calling my mom and walking around, you were stabbing the hearts of two little girls? Good to know what you guys get up to while I’m not around.” He turned to Haknyeon, who shrank back in guilt but kept a firm gaze. “Did you guys put up with this?”

“It’s our job, Eric. You knew what we did when you decided to become a hunter,” Younghoon pointed out. 

“Yeah, you keep saying that. But I didn’t sign up to be a hunter so I could kill innocent people!” Eric looked back and forth between his hunter crew, hoping to find an ally somewhere. Instead, three cold yet pitying faces stared back at him.

“Faeries aren’t people, Eric. And until you realize that, you’ll never be able to be a hunter.” Hyunjae turned away from him and went back to unpacking his weapons. Eric looked nervously to Haknyeon, who smiled softly but said nothing.

“I’m going home,” Eric said finally. No one said anything about the fact that he couldn’t walk. He picked up his bag and limped his way out the door.

“We’ll see you tomorrow?” Haknyeon called nervously after him. 

“Fine.” Eric closed the door behind him and struggled down the stairs. The hotel didn’t have an elevator. He should leave it a one star review. 

He should’ve known he’d be better off just keeping his thoughts to himself. The other hunters had never been ones to choose prey based on empathy. For hunters, it all came down to convenience.

Eric’s parents lived in the downtown area of the city, in a house not far from the highschool Eric went to. It took him longer than he’d like to get there, given the fastest he could go was a pitifully slow limp. But eventually, he made it there without bumping into anyone he knew. 

He felt almost disappointed. For some reason he was hoping he’d see Sunwoo again while he was out and about. But Sunwoo didn’t exactly seem like the type of person who enjoyed a lot of time outdoors. 

Eric knocked on the front door of his house and immediately after remembered he would have to explain to his parents what happened to his ankle. He’d managed to have an extremely eventful first day in the city.

“Eric!” The door flew open and Eric was yanked inside by his enthusiastic parents. “We’re so happy to see you, sweetie!” His mom pulled back from him and looked him up and down. “What happened to you?”

After an exhausting recount of everything he’d gone through, leaving out as many details as he could get away with, his mother allowed him to sit down for dinner. 

“I wanted to prepare some of your favorite comfort food since you’ve had to be away from home for so long! Tell us, how scary is it having to be so close to faeries in your work? You don’t get hurt, do you?”

Eric laughed awkwardly as his parents pinned him with their stares. “No, not really.” _I’m usually the one hurting them._ “They’re not that dangerous.”

“What? But how can that be? Everyone knows they’re far more violent by nature than humans,” his father protested.

“Well, yes, but that’s a genetic thing. They’re still different person by person just like humans,” Eric explained. “So some are more violent than others. It also depends on their breed. You know, woodland fae, seaside fae, et cetera….” He trailed off at his parents’ lost expressions. 

“Of course, honey,” his mother said, nodding fiercely. His father joined in. “We understand.” They definitely didn’t. “We’re just looking out for you. It’s hard having you away from home for so long, especially knowing you’re around faeries. But as long as we know you’re helping to rid our world of the monsters that plague it, that’s good enough for us.” His parents exchanged a smile. Eric felt his stomach turn. 

“Aren’t you hungry, kiddo? You’ve barely touched your chicken!” His dad laughed and helped more food onto his plate.

“I don’t really have an appetite,” Eric said. He pushed the plate away. “Mind if I go up to my room?” 

“Of course, honey. Get lots of rest!” His mom gave him a gentle smile, and Eric weakly returned one of his own. 

Once up in the safety of his own room, he closed his door and sank down onto his bed. He’d missed the feeling of having a place all to his own where he could go and not be disturbed.  
The soft pink walls lit up in the last light of the sun’s rays. Eric leaned over and switched on his bedside lamp, star maps appearing across his ceiling.

Now that he was away from his parents, it was strangely quiet. Eric never liked the quiet. He tapped his fingers anxiously, his leg bouncing up and down. He needed something to do. Someone to talk to.

Eric rolled over onto his stomach and stared at his phone. Without even realizing what he was doing, he typed out a message.

_what are ur parents like?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunters gotta hunt ig  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	7. 7. To Not Be Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sunwoo gains an animal companion that I proceed to forget about for the next five chapters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It would be too cruel of me to make you wait a whole week for another short chapter that's mostly an interlude, so here's a kind of double update! think of it as a birthday present for yeosang from ateez even though he doesn't know i exist.

To Not Be Alone

It was later than he’d been expecting. 

They’d arrived in the city during the late afternoon, and now the sun had long since set and the streets were bathed in dusk. In the dark, the buildings grew taller, the shadows longer, and the danger greater. For those who weren’t Sunwoo.

In a big city like this, darkness was his friend. Darkness meant others couldn’t see his secrets. 

Sunwoo tugged his hood down from his head, letting the wind ruffle his hair. It was too dark for humans to see his pointed ears and horns now. There was nothing for him to fear.

He headed away from the apartment and picked a direction at random. He had no map of the city and no idea where anything was. Hopefully if he just walked, he might find a park. Or even a small patch of grass. He would take anything at this point. 

To his delight, it began to drizzle. A grin tugged at Sunwoo’s face, and his steps began to lighten. Rain would wash away his fatigue and renew him. It always did. And rain in the city couldn’t be all that different from rain back in the forest, could it?

Sunwoo came to a halt as the buildings beside him fell away and he found himself walking beside an iron fence. Warily approaching the fence and being sure not to touch it, he squinted through the rain. 

A playground. Which meant, a park. 

Sunwoo’s hearts sped up in excitement. He leapt effortlessly over the fence, his coat just barely brushing the tips of its twisted spikes. His boots landed with a squelch in muddy grass. Sunwoo grinned and stomped around in circles, relishing in the squishy feeling. It felt so much better than dry concrete beneath his feet.

The rain was starting to make his hair stick to his forehead, and he swept it out of his face impatiently as he sought out a tree. There were many, he realized in delight. One mistake humans hadn’t made here, then. They’d kept some semblence of nature alive in the midst of their concrete jungle. 

Sunwoo placed a hand against the tree closest to him, a birch on the edge of the small park that leaned far over the grassy area. He sank to his knees and settled down with his back to the trunk, tipping his head back until he felt it make contact with the damp wood. 

Sunwoo closed his eyes and let himself take the first deep breath he’d been able to take in the city. From arriving in a panicked rush, to being thrust in a strange, busy world full of humans, to Eric’s annoying persistent texts, he hadn’t been able to catch a break. But trees’ soft, gentle canopies always allowed him to rest no matter the time. 

The first thing he could remember was a tree. He was lying underneath it, the sun’s rays peeking down at him from beneath its dappled leaves. He was sure the first thing he’d ever seen in life was a tree, too. 

It would be far too difficult to reach his serenity in the daytime, when this place would be full of human children. There was no escape to peace in the city. This wasn’t the forest, where any time he had a fight with Sangyeon or needed to escape Jacob’s pity he could run out into the woods and hide in the branches, where only the birds and squirrels knew where he was.

There were no birds here, singing their songs to comfort him. There were no tasty squirrels ready to jump into Chanhee’s batch of stress-relief cookies. 

A small chittering noise drew his attention. Sunwoo smiled. Okay, so maybe he hadn’t been entirely right about that. 

A black squirrel perched on a protruding root beside him, regarding him with a puzzled expression. “Yeah,” Sunwoo mused. “I’m not entirely sure how I got here, either.” It wasn’t necessarily that he could talk to animals— that was always a skill he wished woodland fae could possess— after all, they deserved it the most— but he just got them. They found him, no matter where he was, and they listened. And they never talked back with annoying opinions.

The squirrel darted forward to rest on his knee, its fluffy black tail wet with droplets of fallen rain. Sunwoo stroked the squirrel’s soft little head, smiling as it wound its tail around his wrist. “Thank you,” he told the squirrel, feeling he should. He didn’t necessarily deserve anyone’s comfort, hadn’t done anything to deserve it. But this squirrel had more empathy than any of his friends did at the moment. “It’s nice to not be alone.”

Saying the words out loud made him realize they were true. I’m fine being alone, he told himself. I always have been. I always am. But it’s just nice to sometimes _not_ be. Doesn’t mean it’s bad when I am alone. Which I usually am, and that’s totally fine.

Sunwoo didn’t have his phone, so he had no clue what time it was. The moon was obscured by clouds, so he couldn’t use its position. And unlike starsight fae, he couldn’t use the earth’s gravitational pull, or whatever, either. 

Maybe… maybe tomorrow he would go out. It’s not like he had anything better to do. Tomorrow he would go out and find more fae. He would find out what it was like being a faerie living in the city. He hadn’t seen any obvious fae out today. Maybe they had their own community hidden somewhere. 

Would there be a lot of woodland fae? Or would there be more seaside or starsight or fireborne fae? Seaside fae didn’t typically stray far from the ocean. And woodland fae were more rigid in their traditions, sticking to their forests and staying far away from humans. Starsight fae were adapters. They were drawn to crowds and trends. And Sunwoo honestly had never been able to figure the hell out of fireborne fae. His only friends outside of his clan were the woodland fae he saw whenever they’d travel to the faeries markets outside of their forest… or to the capital.

Sunwoo drew his eyes back down to the squirrel friend he’d made. “Do you have a name?” He asked the squirrel. It didn’t respond. “That’s alright. We’ll get there.”

As Sunwoo rose and shook the water droplets from his coat— it had stopped raining by then— the squirrel rearranged itself to sit on his shoulder instead. He wondered absently, as he headed back towards the apartment, if Eric had texted him again. 

It was because he was hoping he hadn’t, Sunwoo assured himself. He was hoping he would get back to his room and check his phone and see there were no new messages. And then he’d check it again in a little bit, just to make sure there were still no new messages. And then once more before he went to sleep, so that he could be sure he would sleep soundly. 

Sunwoo stared up at the apartment building. It looked so different in the nighttime than it had during the day. 

The building reached high, high above him, vines climbing over its surface and dripping down on him, in a way humans would view as decrepit but he saw as wonderful. Why humans couldn’t see that nature made everything so much more beautiful was beyond him. What made this building worth cutting down so many of his trees to create? 

Shaking his head, Sunwoo climbed the stairs and entered the apartment. It was quiet at night here, this far from downtown. Not quiet peaceful, because it wasn’t as silent as he’d liked, because there were no calming forest noises to remind him he was in his element. But it was enough. It would do, for now. 

Sunwoo lay down on his bed, Chanhee fast asleep in the bed beside his. His squirrel friend curled up on the blanket beside him. He’d check his phone in the morning, Sunwoo decided. He needed to rest, his body unable to keep up with the frantic amount of thinking he’d had to do today. 

Despite the late hour, the city was still active. He could hear it, his ears stretching farther than humans could understand. The soft dripping the rain must be making from the roof was drowned by the arguing neighbors and slamming car doors. 

Sunwoo sighed. This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sunwoo DEFINITELY isnt hoping Eric texts him, he has no idea what you're talking about what??? also i really like squirrels  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> Thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	8. 8. The Most Important Meal of the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get a little glimpse of how some people see hunters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can go right ahead and forget that eric's injured cause i sure did too. dw its not important LMAO

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Eric did _not_ jump when his phone lit up early the next morning. He’d already been laying awake, finding it difficult to sleep even though the orderliness of his bedroom usually helped to sooth him into rest. He was away from the chaos and messiness of the other hunters, and should have drifted off easily. But instead he’d tossed and turned all night, checking his phone at least a dozen times.

So when his phone alerted him to a text message, it was because he was just glad to have something to do that he leapt up in excitement. His heart sped up even more when he saw who it was from.

_I don’t talk to them much._

Eric wondered if Sunwoo was going to ask him back. But they probably weren’t at that stage yet. Eric sighed and tapped his fingers, hating that texting this boy was the most urgent thing in his life.

He wasn’t used to people not liking him. Or rather, shutting down his friendliness so effortlessly. Sunwoo wasn’t even trying to get to know him at all. And Eric never turned down a challenge.

_maybe its for the best. mine are kind of a pain_

_That sucks._

Eric sat up, hand flying to pat down his sleep-mussed hair even though he knew Sunwoo couldn’t see him. 

_is that… empathy? for ME??_

_Honestly Eric, it’s like you think I’m a monster or something._

_i have good reason to believe so ㅠㅠ_

_What do you mean?_

There were many ways to interpret texts, Eric knew, but that didn’t stop him from panicking as he worried for a moment that he may have offended Sunwoo.

_haha kidding, sry. ur not a monster, im sure ur just shy :-D_

Eric waited for four and a half minutes, knowing Sunwoo had seen his text, before he realized the boy wasn’t going to reply. Disappointed, he headed into the shower and left his phone on his bed. There were no new messages when he reemerged, toweling off his blonde hair and rooting around for clothes. 

The last time he’d left his parent’s house, he’d made sure to carefully sort and neatfully fold every single item of clothing. Now, he needed to find something for school.

Haknyeon had told him they would see him today, but they’d have to do whatever it was without him. He’d promised his parents he’d go back to school, and his senior year was unfortunately more important than hunting down a woodland fae clan. Even if woodland fae in a city was rare.

“Good morning! I hope you’re planning on eating breakfast.” Eric’s dad greeted him with a thump on the back as he came downstairs. “You’ve grown so much muscle! I’m glad chasing after faeries is having a good effect on you. It’s the only good thing you can get from a faerie, after all!”

Eric wrinkled his nose. “What does that mean,” he muttered under his breath as he grabbed a slice of bread. 

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make sure you eat something healthy!” His mother chastised as she marched past him. Eric wondered what Sunwoo ate for breakfast. The tears of those who failed to befriend him?

_make sure u eat something healthy for breakfast!_

Eric spread butter on his bread without toasting it and munched away. If he had more time, he’d make ramen, but for now he’d suffer through the bland snack and survive until he could relish in the nutritional school cafeteria lunch.

_What?_

Eric froze. He hadn’t meant to actually text Sunwoo. Hadn’t he just imagined doing that? No way he’d actually done it for real, right?

_its the most important meal of the day hahaha_

_Okay._

Eric sighed in relief. He’d totally saved it. Sunwoo definitely wouldn’t think he was a weirdo who thought of him at all random hours of the day.

_Kind of weird that you’re thinking of me while having breakfast, but you too or whatever._

You too! He’d said you too! Eric’s bread fell from his mouth as it split into a delighted grin. Sunwoo was opening up to him. He was becoming actually _friendly._ This was _progress._

Now what should he say? Was _have a nice day_ overdoing it? Should he ask Sunwoo what he was going to eat?

Oh, wait. He was totally overthinking this.

_thanks :-D_

He got left on read again, but that was okay. One day Sunwoo would learn how to be the one to text first. 

Eric shouldered his backpack and headed off to school without saying goodbye to his parents. It was a habit he hadn’t gotten into in a while, as it’d been months since he last attended school in person.

Wait. School. What if….?

_kevin said u guys just moved here, right? so are u going to the same school as me? :-D_

_I’m homeschooled._

Eric sighed in disappointment. At least he’d replied right away. Which meant he must be watching his phone waiting for Eric to text him, Eric thought in satisfaction. His texts were probably the best part of Sunwoo’s day!

“Mr. Sohn.”

Eric peeked into the folds of his backpack, trying to see if Sunwoo had texted him.

“Mr. Sohn, is there something more interesting than my class in your backpack?”

“Yeah, my phone,” Eric said absently, causing the class to erupt in laughter.

“Of course there is,” the teacher sighed, and went back to…. Eric squinted at the board. He couldn’t even tell what class he was in. Guess that meant it was time to start paying attention.

Or…. well, since he was already totally lost, he might as well text Sunwoo. There was no way he’d be able to catch up now. 

_i dont understand this class at all lmao save meeee_

Eric glanced up quickly to make sure the teacher wasn’t watching before training his eyes on his screen, waiting for the bubble to pop up that meant Sunwoo was typing a reply. But it didn’t come.

Disappointment stabbed through him. Maybe he was busy.

_sunwoo?_ Eric messaged once school was over. Still no reply.

During lunch the next day, Eric tuned out his friends, who barely noticed he was back, and stared at his phone, waiting for Sunwoo’s reply. It had been nearly a full day since Eric texted him. He’d never taken this long to respond.

_r u ok lol_

Eric tapped his leg anxiously. Maybe he just hadn’t seen the text. It could have gotten lost in all his notifications. Sunwoo was good looking. Very much so. Eric rubbed at his rapidly heating face. So lots of people probably texted him. That’s why he was thinking about Sunwoo being good looking. 

Seeing the bubble with its three little dots made Eric fall backwards off the bench and slam ass first onto the ground. Finally, his friends seemed to notice him. “Oh, dude, are you okay?” Felix asked, cackling.

“Fine,” Eric grumbled, picking himself up and glueing his eyes to his phone once again.

“Dude, _who_ are you texting? Just give up already, I doubt she’s into you,” Wyatt snorted. “It’s not like you’re around much anyway.”

“I bet loads of chicks are into hunters, though.”

“For real? Who’d be into a murderer? I for sure wouldn’t be.”

Eric lowered his phone slowly as his friends’ eyes all turned to him.

“Well— of course it’s not murder, they’re just faeries,” Wyatt admitted awkwardly. “I wasn’t calling you a murderer, Eric. It’s just that….”

“Sometimes it seems that way,” another boy rushed in. “But at least you’re not like those crazy faerie loving hippies. You’re okay.”

“Good,” Eric said in a shaking voice. “I’m glad I’m _okay.”_

He picked up his lunch tray, shouldering his bag and heading out of the cafeteria. A chorus of apologies floated after him, but Eric didn’t turn around. _He_ was okay. But were Hyunjae, Haknyeon and Younghoon, by their standards? Even though he did the same things as them. _His_ friends couldn’t _possibly_ be associated with bad people... so long as they were held at arm's length. 

_Sorry. I’m okay. Are you?_

Eric couldn't find an explanation within him for why his stomach was clenching like this. It couldn’t have been his lunch. It only began once he saw Sunwoo’s text.

_I didn’t ignore u on purpose, I promise._

_hahaha ur starting to text like me now_

Eric slid down the wall, finding the hallway outside the cafeteria to be empty. It was just him and the wide windows overlooking the city. He leaned his head against his backpack, ignoring his lunch and grinning wider and wider with each text.

_Am I? Guess that’s your powerful influence._

_well to answer ur question class was ok but i kinda. hate my friends_

_Why?_

_theyre judgemental assholes to start_

_Yes, humans tend to be like that._

Eric laughed. Sunwoo had a funny way of phrasing things. 

_loool yeah we are arent we_

He wondered how Sunwoo would respond. Would he make some comment about someone judgemental he knew? That was usually how conversations went. Friends trade relatable stories to get to know each other more. It worked in theory, but Eric didn’t have much opportunity to test it in the field.

_Do you prefer faeries to humans?_

Eric raised his eyebrows. Well, that was a question, wasn’t it.

_haha what do u meannnn_

_I will assume that’s a no._

_oh i didnt mean that but its just a weird question lol_

_Why is it a weird question? Don’t you view faeries as equal to humans? That makes you a rare type of human._

_u make it sound like ur not one haha_

_My bad._

The bell rang, making Eric knock over his lunch tray and spill stew all over his sweater. Nice. 

_adjljskfj this day sucks_

_What have you done now, Eric?_

_im a mess slkgjldsgjsl_

_I haven’t noticed._

Despite the bigger hole he’d dug himself into, Eric smiled. Sunwoo did that to him. Even seeing a text from him made Eric smile before he’d even read it. He wondered why that was.

_i gotta go thanks for talking to me tho!! <3_

_What’s that?_

_whats what_

_This <3_

_omg u love me_

_What???_

Eric giggled to himself as he made his way to pre-calc. He didn’t care to notice the weird glances it made him get.

_its a heart lol_

_Ha. Whatever you say._

Eric had reached his classroom, and realized this was not a teacher who would be as nice about him texting in class. Quickly, he raised his phone and snapped a selfie, a finger heart raised above his blue knit sweater. 

_send one back_

Eric stared at his phone for a moment longer despite knowing he wouldn’t get a reply. Just before he could tuck it away into his jacket, a new message popped up. Eric squeaked in reply. 

Sunwoo had sent a selfie. He had a black beanie on and a white T-shirt, mimicking Eric’s finger heart with one eyebrow raised in confusion. It made him look hot and cute at the same time and it made Eric’s insides twist into pretzels. 

He saved the picture for future research purposes and headed into class feeling like he was floating on a cloud that no rainstorm could drench.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this may be one of my fave chapters that ive written so far... it wont be so cute for long tho hehe  
> and CONGRATS TO OUR BOYS FOR WINNING ROAD TO KINGDOM!! so worth waking up at 4am to vote for them for. and their kcon stage was so cute <3333  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	9. 9. Wildflower Honey

Wildflower Honey

Sunwoo checked his phone first thing the next morning and replaced his immediate smile with a groan as he saw Eric texted him. Why couldn’t the human just leave him alone? Why did he care what Sunwoo ate for breakfast?

He wandered into the small kitchen area, Jacob and Chanhee greeting him from where they sat at the only table in the apartment. He supposed while it was indeed odd of Eric to think of him while eating breakfast, it was amusing to Sunwoo. Faeries didn’t eat as much as humans. Just one meal a day was enough to sustain them, so they often didn’t eat breakfast. Sunwoo wondered if Eric, someone who claimed to be so knowledgeable about fae, knew that.

Of course, Sunwoo mused, draping his head over his hand and watching Jacob devour his third bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch(Sunwoo had never understood the older faerie’s human cereal obsession), Eric didn’t know Sunwoo was fae. And how interesting it would make things if he told him.

He shouldn’t, Sunwoo reasoned. It wasn’t smart. Even if Eric was the most open minded human he’d ever met. He was also, Sunwoo realized, the only human he’d ever met.

The black squirrel he’d befriended the night before climbed up his shoulder and draped itself around his neck. Sunwoo stroked its head and smiled.

“Sunwoo,” Sangyeon called out to him as the leader of their clan swept into the room. He peered into a mirror and ran a finger up one of his black, twisting horns. “Does my hair look better swept back or tastefully ruffled, like this?” He spun to face the younger faeries, proudly displaying a head of “I just woke up” hair that had clearly been styled meticulously.

“Doesn’t affect me, so I don’t care,” Sunwoo responded.

“Alright, alright, fine. I need you to run some errands for me today, okay?”

“Hah?” Sunwoo sat back. “Why me?”

“Cause you’re clearly antsy here and you need to get out of the house. I’m sure you’re itching to explore what fae life is like here, right?” Sangyeon raised a knowing eyebrow.

Sunwoo sat up eagerly. “Hell yeah!” He darted over to where Sangyeon stood, smirking knowingly, by the front door. “What do you need? I got this!” He caught Jacob watching him with a motherly smile and quickly killed the enthusiasm.

“I want you to find out if there’s an underground faerie marketplace,” Sangyeon told him.”You know, not like the supermarket one we went to yesterday, but—”

“I know, I know, the one that sells magic supplies and stuff,” Sunwoo cut him off, bouncing on the balls of his feet and anticipating being outside again. 

“If there is, tell me what it’s like. I want Chanhee to be able to set up his shop so we can get a lil money off his ingredients.” Sangyeon winked like they were talking about something more interesting than herbs and berries.

“Okay? And? What else?” Sunwoo tapped his foot impatiently.

“You better hurry up or he’s gonna take off and not come back,” Chanhee predicted.

Sangyeon sighed. “We would be so lucky.” Sunwoo glared. “Also check out what fae restaurants and cafes there are. Any popular spots. Talk to the locals, but _not_ humans. Try to figure out what places hunters frequent and how dangerous they are. Some hunters are lenient and only go after faeries who strike out and break the law, but others will kill any faerie they see. Be careful.” Sunwoo nodded. “Jacob can disguise you so you don’t have to worry about hiding your horns.”

Sunwoo hesitated. He didn’t want to have to masquerade as a human, but if that’s what it took….

Jacob rose from the table and pulled a vial of faerie dust from around his waist. He sprinkled the dust over Sunwoo’s head, the gold shower drifting from his hair all the way down to his toes. Sunwoo watched in the mirror as his horns shrank and disappeared, his ears rounding and his pointed teeth becoming dull. He could still feel their original shape if he focused, but the magic of the faerie dust would keep anyone else from knowing. Well, it would fool humans. Faeries would smell the faerie dust on him and know he was disguised. 

“Be free, child.” Jacob swept a hand towards the door with a flourish. Sunwoo grinned. 

“Don’t take too long,” Sangyeon said. 

“I know, I know.” Sunwoo tightened his grip on his phone. No. He couldn’t get distracted. He’d try and check it quickly later. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” He heard Jacob mutter softly as the door began to close behind him.

“He can look after himself,” Sangyeon replied. “You’ll see.”

Sunwoo left them far behind him as he barrelled down the stairs, letting his feet carry him down, down, down towards the streets of downtown and beyond.

As the early sun cast shadows from the tall buildings around him, Sunwoo raised his head and sniffed, unused to the lightness of his head without his horns. The scent of faerie dust was all around him, but of course it was. It was all over him. 

Woodland faeries were good at a lot of things, but they had to study hard to perfect their magic. And they weren’t particularly gifted when it came to faerie dust, either. After a few suspicious moments of standing and sniffing the air— luckily there were few humans about— Sunwoo picked up a strong trail of faerie dust coming from somewhere not on his own head. Following the trail led him deeper into the heart of the city. Sunwoo tugged his coat tighter despite the morning warmth.

This part of the city was crawling with more humans than he’d ever seen. Getting in and out of cars, coming in and out of buildings, going everywhere and nowhere at once. _I look just like one of them,_ Sunwoo reminded himself as panic thudded in his chest. He flinched when he brushed up against someone while threading his way through the crowd. _They have no idea who I am._

A sudden flood of people swept him backwards. Finding himself fighting against the current, Sunwoo glanced up in curiosity to see what building was drawing so many people this early in the morning. 

Huh. A high school.

_Eric is probably in there._

The thought made his stomach clench suddenly. His hearts pounded loudly in his ears. _I’m nervous because of all these people around me._

Sunwoo wondered if Eric had texted him. He should probably check. The thought made his stomach clench again.

Before he could pull out his phone to check, Sunwoo realized in a panic that the faerie dust trail had vanished. He wriggled his way out of the crowd of school kids, shoving Eric to the back of his mind where hopefully he’d stay.

With relief, he picked up the trail again. It led him down another few blocks before ending at a wrought iron door between a seafood restaurant and a hair salon.

Sunwoo glanced around before pulling the door open. He cringed as it squealed loudly, his squirrel friend chittering in alarm, and he slipped quickly inside. 

An unlit set of stairs welcomed him, but no sounds accompanied. The scent of faerie dust was still strong, so Sunwoo ventured down into the dark.

Sunwoo had been climbing down for quite a while, and he began to wonder if these stairs actually went somewhere or if he’d just end up in hell itself from wandering for so long. Finally, the space around him widened out and he glimpsed light.

The scent of faerie dust became overpowering as he stepped forward into what he now saw as a massive cavern.

Sangyeon’s underground faerie market was real, alright. And he’d just walked right into it.

It looked just like the faerie farmer’s market on the surface, but this one was lit by eternal flame lanterns, crafted by fireborne fae and hung on every stall. It went on for miles, far longer than he could easily see in the darkness. He certainly didn’t have a starsight faerie’s eyes.

Sunwoo stepped forward into the rows of stalls, selling everything from faerie dust to artificial second hearts(“Guaranteed to replace the one hunters stole! Your mate will never know the difference!”) to full-on armor. For the overly dramatic, he figured. Unsurprisingly, fireborne fae seemed particularly theatrical. 

A seaside faerie woman walking towards him gave him a curious look, and Sunwoo stepped into her path. “Excuse me,” he began with a polite dip of his head. “How far does this market go on for, exactly? Are there other entrances?”

The woman smiled. “Of course, dear. The other exit is at the other end. You’ve got quite a ways to wander to get there. It lets out in the outskirts of town.” She wandered off. Everyone here was wandering, Sunwoo noted. No one was walking purposefully like they had somewhere to be. Well, he didn’t have time to afford to do that. He set out, sticking to the wall of the side he’d come in. He passed a stall smelling strongly of musty woods.

Unless…. Well, if they had woodland fae delicacies, that was worth a detour.

“Elk horn swords,” the vendor explained as he ran his hand over the smooth handle of the weapons. “Twin beauties. Perfectly suited for a woodland faerie. You do a lot of fighting, boy?”  
“Not as much as I’d like to,” Sunwoo remarked. He smirked and waited for the vendor to laugh.

“Well, then this is perfect for you!” Ugh. He’d just walked into a sales trap. “It takes a skilled warrior to wield them well, you know. They’re the most expensive ones I’ve got!” 

“Really?” Sunwoo brightened up. His hand crept towards his bag full of Sangyeon’s money. Well, the older faerie _had_ said to let him know if there was anything he wanted… Sangyeon couldn’t be mad if Sunwoo was helping to boost his own self defense, right? “I’ll take them!”

The vender carefully wrapped the swords up, Sunwoo bouncing eagerly. The older faerie man hesitated before he handed them over. “You use them well, now,” the vendor said eventually, and Sunwoo snatched them up.

“Thank you, sir!” He bowed and darted off, his purchase tucked under his arm. 

Now, which way was the way he’d come?

Sunwoo stomped his foot. In the forest, every tree was different. But these stalls all looked the same. 

He wandered in circles for longer than he would have liked, even checking his phone to see the time. Unsurprisingly, there was no service in the underground.

He’d been in the faerie market for two hours. Sunwoo paused. That wasn’t possible. He’d been lost for a bit, but there was no way it had been _two hours._

“How can that be?” He mused, tapping his fingers on the back of his phone nervously. Maybe his phone was broken. 

“First time in the faerie market?” A voice cut into his nervous twitching.

“Uh, yeah.” Sunwoo glanced at the fleetfoot faerie boy who observed him while leaning casually against the nearest stall. 

“You’ll get used to the time thing. It runs quicker down here—” He pointed to the stalls around them— “than it does up there.” He pointed skyward. “It’ll throw you off for sure, though.” The fleetfoot boy flashed him a charming grin.

“Thanks,” Sunwoo replied curtly.

“No problem.” The boy leaned forward. “I’m Jisung, by the way. Lemme know if you need help with anything else.” He winked. The wings on the boy’s ankles fluttered into action, and he took off skyward. 

Shaking his head, Sunwoo turned around in a circle. Thankfully, he recognized the way he’d come in, and set off in the direction of the other exit again. Time to see just how big this place really was. 

Luckily, since woodland fae were a shortage in cities, there weren’t a lot of stalls catering to their tastes. Hopefully Chanhee’s business could find a place here. Sunwoo had no idea if there were rules or if one could strike up a tent and start selling.

It could have been ten minutes or an hour later when Sunwoo found another staircase leading upwards. He sighed in relief. He was losing track of the concept of time, and his elk horn swords were growing heavy. He hefted them higher in his grip and began to climb. 

These stairs were different from the ones he’d come down. They appeared the same at first, but the higher he went, the more well lit and clean they became. 

Sunwoo pushed open the door at the top and found himself in what appeared to be the backroom of a shop of sorts. He hoped it was fae owned, otherwise he’d have a lot of explaining to do.

Sunwoo peeked at the objects on the shelves around him as he made his way to the front of the store. There was faerie dust, but also lots of strange objects. They looked more like something a faerie hunter would use rather than a faerie, Sunwoo thought in amusement. Then he stopped and felt chilled despite the warm day. Did the faerie market really let up into a… hunter’s store? 

It wouldn’t. That made no sense.

“Did you come up from the faerie market?” 

Sunwoo whipped around. The squirrel hissed warningly. He was in the store’s front now, and had passed right by the occupied cashier station. A well-built young man grinned down at him. He had pointed ears and teeth, but no scent of faerie dust or anything else to declare him fae. 

“Yeah,” Sunwoo said softly.

“This your first time?” The man continued, amusement creeping into his voice. “Don’t freak out. You’re not in danger here, don’t worry. I help out hunters, I help out faeries. I don’t pick sides.” The man leaned down and shuffled around under the counter for a bit. “I’m Juyeon.” He offered Sunwoo a jar of a dark purple substance. “Wildflower honey? I just got a fresh batch.” 

Sunwoo hesitated. He could be pretty stupid sometimes, but not take candy from strangers stupid. 

“You’re a woodland faerie, aren’t you? It came from the woodland capital,” Juyeon continued. Sunwoo felt a surge of emotion inside him, and moved to take the jar of honey.

“Nice swords. Hope I don’t find myself on the other end of them,” Juyeon joked. “You look like you can use them.” 

“I don’t yet,” Sunwoo confessed. _Wait, that was stupid. Why would I tell him that?_ “But I will soon.” He turned to leave, then hesitated. This was the most friendly he’d gotten with the local fae so far. Might as well find out what else he knew.

“Are there some fae cafes or restaurants around? Any clubs or bars?” Sunwoo juggled his swords and the jar of honey in his arms, trying not to drop something.

Juyeon grinned. “Yeah, totally!” He slid a piece of paper across the counter. Sunwoo leaned over to peek at it. “Here’s a map of everything fae in the city.” Sunwoo perked up.

“Dude, awesome! Thanks so much!” Sunwoo tossed the map on top of the slowly building pile of goodies he’d gained. “Also, I should ask. My clan is new in town, and you seem to know a lot about a lot of things. What are hunters like here?”

Juyeon’s smile died. “Bad.”

Sunwoo’s heart dropped. “Really?”

“A new crew just arrived. They’re pretty ruthless. Watch out.” Juyeon lowered his voice. “They’re smart, too. Be careful, okay?”

“If you’re warning me about them, why do you help them?” Sunwoo wondered. Juyeon hesitated.

“I don’t help every hunter. Just… some.”

Juyeon’s voice had grown tight and closed off, and Sunwoo knew not to press anymore. Instead, he thought about Eric. Someone who lived in the city. “What about the humans? What are they like?”

Juyeon smiled again. “You know Sunwoo, you’ll meet some really wonderful people in this city. No matter of their race.” He turned towards the back room. “Have a good day now, alright?”

Sunwoo’s hearts thumped loudly. He hefted his things higher in his arms and marched out the door, setting out for their apartment. It was evening now. Time had really passed quickly. He should get to sleep early to make up for how scrambled his brain had become.

And then tomorrow he’d make up his mind. And if he chickened out, he’d do it the day after. But one day soon, he needed to tell Eric the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's hope Sunwoo finds the courage to tell the truth soon... before it's too late :o  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	10. 10. A Future in the Constellations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> moonlight confessions and realizations.... how will it go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy fourth of july america sucks  
> this chapter moves things fast. lets see if things go to plan hehe

A Future in the Constellations

The next few days passed in a happy blur of unexpected texts from Sunwoo. Every time his phone pinged, Eric would leap off his bed or out of his chair and dive for the device. Sunwoo rarely texted him unprompted, but there was one time he did. 

Eric scowled down at his history homework, hoping his chapter outline might write itself if he stared at it long enough. The origin of fae government was a mystery; how was he supposed to analyze it?

His phone lit up with a text message and he dropped his pencil as he dove for his bed. His knees collided with the wood of his bed frame and he fell to the ground, phone clutched victoriously in his hand. 

“Eric? Sweetie, are you alright?” His mom’s voice drifted up from the first floor.

“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine!” Eric panted as he unlocked his phone, heart beating rapidly.

Sunwoo had sent him a picture of what looked like an old, very lovingly used book. Its leather bound cover was dusty, but Eric could just barely make out the name of his favorite fae author. 

_Found this in my friend’s room. Idk where he got it. U want it?_

Eric blushed. Sunwoo had stolen from his friend just for him? Where had his friend even _gotten_ a rare fae book, anyway?

_OMGOMG yes pls!! ty ur the best babe <3_

_Okay._

Ugh. He’d totally overdone it. Eric had no idea why he had such trouble controlling himself when it came to Sunwoo. The other boy clearly was fed up with his high levels of enthusiasm. 

_Where do u wanna meet up?_

_huh  
wait wut _

Eric swung his feet off the bed and kicked them like a little kid.

_So I can give u the book._

_oh!! oh yeah totally uhh theres a rly cute cafe downtown i like and since ur new here we could meet there hehe_

_Sounds good. Where?_

Eric gleefully texted him the address and tugged a pair of faded Vans on over his pink Grumpy Cat socks. Thankfully it was a Saturday, and his parents wouldn’t question him leaving the house in the middle of the afternoon to meet up with a boy he’d only met once for a few moments. As long as he didn’t tell them. 

Eric scrambled downstairs and out the door as fast as he could. The days were heating up as summer approached, and for once he’d ditched his knit sweaters for a thin cotton T-shirt. Hopefully Sunwoo would still recognize him from the selfies they’d been exchanging. That Eric totally hadn’t kept saving to his phone and setting as his home screen.

So what if he kind of had a crush on Sunwoo? That was normal. They’d gotten to know each other by texting. Sunwoo knew Eric liked pink and unicorns and The Little Mermaid and that he preferred faerie authors to human ones. And Eric knew Sunwoo was named Sunwoo.

Okay, so maybe Sunwoo was a little secretive. He’d said nothing about his family or who he was living with or where, but Eric couldn’t judge. After all, Sunwoo still thought he was a normal person and not someone who hunted faeries for a living.

Being a hunter didn’t pay much, but if someone rich hired them to take care of a faerie, that was sweet. Although normally, bounty hunters stuck to taking jobs from people and faerie hunters worked for themselves. 

Whatever. Eric thought of himself as very in touch with his feelings. He never denied anything. It was far easier to just accept how he was really feeling. But from reading fae books, he knew that was not typical of humans. 

He reached the cafe earlier than their set time, as the sun slipped past the middle of the sky and began its journey to the west. He tapped his foot anxiously and fiddled with his hair as he watched his reflection in the cafe’s window. He looked fine, he told himself. Sunwoo won’t care what you look like. 

“Why are you waiting out here?” 

Eric jumped. He’d forgotten how deep Sunwoo’s voice was. He stared at the boy’s reflection behind him for a moment before turning to face him.

“Hi!” Eric squeaked, his voice embarrassingly high pitched. Sunwoo snorted. Well, at least he didn’t seem annoyed. 

“Here’s the book.” Sunwoo thrust the leatherbound volume at him. Eric squealed and snatched it from him. 

Their fingers brushed for a moment as Eric gripped the book. Never one to miss an opportunity, he grabbed the older boy’s hand in his own and squeezed. “Thank you!” He said, grinning breathlessly.

Sunwoo froze. It took a few seconds for his lazy smile to return. “Uh— yeah. No problem.” He scratched his beanie-covered head awkwardly. Eric wondered why he was wearing such a tall knit hat in this warm weather. “Wanna go inside and get something to drink?”

Eric almost melted at the reluctant hope in Sunwoo’s eyes as the other boy shifted his weight. Was he as nervous as Eric? Nah. Definitely impossible. Eric could probably break records in nervousness around cute boys. 

“Yes! Absolutely!” Eric bounced on the balls of his feet, beaming. Sunwoo hesitated and visibly swallowed. 

“Actually, uh,” Sunwoo faltered, eyes never leaving Eric’s own. “I’ve gotta get back to my— to where I’m staying.” 

Eric frowned, disappointment seeping into his heart. How was Sunwoo still sending him mixed signals even in real life? 

“But—” 

“Let’s hang out another time,” Sunwoo blurted, eyes darting away from Eric. 

“Oh.” Eric blinked. Well, then that had to mean he hadn’t totally butched their friendship! “Cool! I’ll look forward to it.” 

“Don’t,” Sunwoo said, then wrinkled his face. “Sorry.” 

Eric laughed. Sunwoo ducked his head and smiled. 

“I’ll let you know when I’m free,” Eric promised. Sunwoo was definitely shy. Well, Eric had no problem in taking the initiative for their date. Oh God. A date. He said it. Well, thought it. How would Sunwoo react if….? “It’s a date!” 

Sunwoo’s eyes widened. “Uh… yeah.” He spun around. “See you later, Eric.” He blinked, and the older boy was gone.

Eric was left shuffling his feet and examining the book. It was a recipe book, he realized, for woodland fae. How cute! Eric smiled and ruffled through its pages on the way home.

The book was old, but it looked mostly unused. There were a few notes scrawled on the pages, and Eric realized in delight he could understand much of the fae language. He’d read through them later. Hopefully Sunwoo’s friend wouldn’t miss this book. 

He texted Sunwoo another thank you as soon as he got home, and to his delight, the other boy apologized for leaving so suddenly. Eric smiled and kicked his legs. He felt bad for leaving! He must have _really_ wanted to stay and hang out with Eric. 

Eric needed to set up a date ASAP. He had to tell Sunwoo he was a hunter, and as long as Sunwoo wasn’t weirded out, he _had_ to try and make something out of this. They’d found each other for a reason. Eric was certain the universe was pushing them together. They were made to be, or something. 

Eric and Sunwoo. Sunwoo and Eric. He ran their names together a thousand times. He definitely shipped it. 

God, he was crushing so bad. It was Sunwoo’s deep eyes that held a thousand emotions and the way he quirked his lips when he took a selfie and the combination of his dry sense of humor and soft heart. It was the way his mind was always thinking of everything at once but he always had time to text Eric back. And he always asked questions right back at him like he didn’t find Eric annoying.

_Maybe you’re just glad someone’s giving you attention,_ his brain tried to reason with him. But Eric’s heart was going a mile a minute for this boy and there was no logic that would slow it down.

_ur into constellations, right?_ He texted Sunwoo one evening. He was fairly certain the older boy had mentioned it once. Something about the stars. Didn’t matter. He needed to start off with something. _theres a lake in the park that has a rly nice view of the stars at night and its usually deserted when it gets late enough if ud wanna go there sometime. like, with me. alone._

Eric cursed himself for accidentally explaining how dates worked. If Sunwoo caught wind of his real plan, he’d probably get scared off. He had to keep it a secret.

_Like a date?_

Fuck.

_And u mean that sadass playground?_

_nono a real park!! i know u love nature >.<_

_This city has a park?? How did I not know this sooner???_

_idk it didnt go anywhere its just been there_

Eric’s leg bounced up and down rapidly as he waited for Sunwoo’s response. He hadn’t confirmed it was a date. Maybe if he ignored Sunwoo’s question, he’d forget how date-like this seemed until Eric had perfectly laid out his trap.

_Sure. When?_

Eric panicked. Oh God, tonight would be too soon. He wasn’t ready to face Sunwoo yet. He needed to figure out how to change his whole personality and do something with his face.

_tomorrow??_

_It’s a date._

Eric’s brain spasmed and mentally keyboard smashed. No _way_ Sunwoo had just thrown his own words back at him. That had to be intentional. Sunwoo was like that.

Okay, Eric thought as he surveyed himself in the mirror the next morning. He wanted Sunwoo to like him as is, so maybe he didn’t need to change his whole personality. But he definitely needed to make this special. 

His stomach twisted into knots as he ruffled through his perfectly organized and neatly folded closet. A button down shirt was too formal, a sweater too casual…. But a longsleeved black shirt tucked into dark jeans was a good compromise. Eric laced boots over his fluffy socks for warmth and did a twirl.

“Damn,” he couldn’t help but say. He patted the jeans approvingly. “I’ll definitely make Sunwoo watch me walk away in these.”

Maybe he should have moved the time up sooner than 10. He spent the whole damn afternoon pacing anxiously. How was he supposed to do this? He’d never been on a date before. What if Sunwoo dressed up for him? Nah, he didn’t seem like that type of guy. What if he dressed super casually? Would he be that chill about this?

Eric fidgeted with his fingers. Did Sunwoo even take him seriously? Or did he just find him an amusing way to waste some time? 

No one had ever returned his feelings. The last time he’d confessed to someone had been his best friend Hyunjoon in middle school, who’d laughed it off awkwardly and told Eric he didn’t get those types of feelings. And they were still friends now and it was only slightly less awkward. Luckily, Hyunjoon was the type of guy to be chill with anything. 

There was a full moon tonight, which Eric was excited about. But as he set out from his house at 9:45, he realized the sky was covered in clouds. So much for star gazing. Eric felt his heart sink. There went his fantasies of Sunwoo pointing out and explaining every constellation to him while their fingers intertwined beneath the moonlight, Eric’s head in Sunwoo’s lap and the older boy playing with his hair. 

He got really bored late at night when he couldn’t sleep.

Eric climbed the softly rolling hills of the park until he reached the dip that surrounded the small, crystal-clear lake. A few coy fish circled the center of the pond. 

Eric settled in the grass, shivering and staring up at the sky. A light wind was picking up, dropping the temperature but thankfully clearing off some of the clouds. The stars peeked out at him in a shy hello. 

He wondered if his future lay in the constellations mapped out above his head, and if anything would come true tonight.

What if Sunwoo chickened out and didn’t show up? Or worse, if he just decided to ditch?

Footsteps on the grass behind him made Eric’s heart clench. He forced himself to breathe and look at Sunwoo. 

The taller boy was wearing a long coat with its hood drawn over his head, only his dark red bangs visible. He’d dressed in nice black jeans and a black sweater. _Oh,_ Eric thought. _He did dress nice for me._

He was glad it was dark and Sunwoo couldn’t see him blush. 

“Hey,” Sunwoo said as he sat down beside Eric. They stared down at their clouded reflections in the water. “Pretty cloudy. That sucks.”

“Yeah,” Eric agreed nervously.

“Guess we’ll have to stare at each other,” Sunwoo joked. Eric nearly fell backwards into the water. _You have no idea how badly I want to._

“So why are you into the constellations?” Eric asked, scooting closer to Sunwoo. The older boy propped his arms behind him and stared up at the sky.

“I like that they’re permanent. Never changing. Unlike human lives that go by so fast.”

Eric shifted. “Um, yeah.” 

“I really like being out in nature,” Sunwoo began. “Time feels different. You’re not tied down to anything.” 

“Yeah!” Eric agreed, leaning even closer. “Cause everyone in the city’s so busy all the time. It gets really stressful being around people who rush everywhere.”

Sunwoo grinned. Eric was getting dangerously close to his face now. He needed to reel it in or he’d do something rash. 

“That’s why trees are better than people,” Sunwoo told him. Eric laughed. “Why are you so interested in faeries?” 

Eric turned his face to the water, smile slipping off his face. “Since I was little, I always thought it was strange that we treated people differently just because they didn’t look like us. But then as I learned more about what made faeries different, I just got so fascinated in what made them unique. I’ve always wanted to learn as much about faeries as possible.” 

He turned to look up at the sky as the clouds began to clear more. Sunwoo casually tugged his hood down from his head and fiddled with his hair in the corner of Eric’s vision, as Eric turned back to gaze down into the water. “I just want to know why they’re viewed as so different when we’re all people,” Eric continued. “That’s why I became a hunter, so I could get closer to faeries and see what makes them different on all levels.” Sunwoo froze. Eric stared, fixated on their reflections, as the moon crept out from behind a cloud. Still too dark for them to properly see each other, but light enough for Eric to see the jagged, twisting horns rising from the crown of Sunwoo’s head on the surface of the lake. “I’ve never gotten to know a faerie before. I’ve never gotten the chance to.” 

Eric felt his heart sink. This was not how he’d predicted the night going. 

He side-eyed Sunwoo nervously, waiting for the woodland faerie boy to react. To his surprise, Sunwoo laughed.

“Of course. This is just my luck.” Sunwoo sat up and stared helplessly at the moon. “The first human I think I can get close to and you’re a fucking hunter.” He rolled smoothly to his feet, and now Eric saw it. The inhuman grace and strength, the horns silhouetted by the full moon, the pointed ears and the teeth he glimpsed when Sunwoo bared them at him. “I thought you were different. I thought you were good. But you’re just a killer who hunts us for sport.”

“Sunwoo….” Eric tried weakly as Sunwoo stalked off. He had nothing to say to call him back. Sunwoo was right. And he was right to leave. There was nothing different, or good, about Eric, at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaha sorry it'll get better soon i promise dont hate me im just the writer  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	11. 11. Get on loser, we're going clubbing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is fastpaced so strap tf in

Get on loser, we’re going clubbing!

Sunwoo couldn’t help that he threw a temper tantrum the second he got home. It was far too tempting and the only reasonable course of action his brain would process.

It wasn’t fucking fair. Eric was supposed to be different. He was supposed to be Sunwoo’s special human that proved that not all humans were bad. But they were all the same.

Faeries were just animals to be gawked at and experimented on for them. Eric wanted him for research, not for friendship or anything… more.

More? What the hell did that mean?

A restless night’s sleep didn’t change anything. It was a week later that Sunwoo glared down at his camera roll. Dozens of Eric’s selfies beamed back up at him. What had he been thinking, saving these photos? What was he going to use them for, anyway? His thumb hovered over the delete button. This wouldn’t delete them permanently, he found himself thinking. He could always restore them later. 

He clenched and unclenched his fists. Fuck. He hated this. 

He grabbed the object next to him and hurled it across the room. 

A knock on the tiny bedroom’s door made Sunwoo jump. Chanhee had gone out to explore the underground faerie market, and Sunwoo had been avoiding everyone else as much as possible. But he couldn’t hide forever.

Kevin poked his head in, eyes wide with curiosity and caution. “Sunny? You okay in here?”

“I’m fine.” The black squirrel stretched out for a tummy rub as if to confirm this.

“Then what were you doing stomping around in here?” Kevin eyed the pieces of plastic on the floor. “Did you smash your Nintendo Switch? Ain’t that expensive as fuck?”

“It was broken,” Sunwoo lied. 

“Of course.” Kevin closed the door behind him and sat cross legged on Chanhee’s bed. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with your date last week, would it?”

Sunwoo’s face heated a hundred degrees a second. “What date?” He stammered, looking away from Kevin to pet the attention-seeking squirrel. 

“Oh, come on. I am the _master_ of awkward one sided feelings. You think I wouldn’t notice you sneaking out all the time?” Kevin leaned forward conspiratorially. “Is it Eric? Did he text you?”

“I don’t know who the hell that is,” Sunwoo said stiffly. Kevin raised an eyebrow. 

“Okay…” The older faerie crossed his arms and did not look impressed. “If you say so….”

“I’m not like you. I don’t want anything to do with humans.” Sunwoo glared at Kevin in the hopes he could scare him into leaving. But Kevin feared nothing.

“Then what was all that “I want to go to school” business before we came here? Did you change your mind that fast?”

Sunwoo groaned inwardly. He was hoping Kevin would have forgotten that. “The city is a lot different than I thought, okay? Humans are worse than I ever could have imagined.”

“Really,” Kevin mused. “You sure you’re not just saying that cause one specific one just broke your hearts?”

“No, I’m not,” Sunwoo snapped. “You wouldn’t understand, anyway. You’re mated.”

Kevin laughed. “Oh, I understand plenty about heartbreak. Just because you’re destined for one person your whole life doesn’t mean you don’t love other people along the way.”

Sunwoo’s hearts jumped. “Really?” He raised his head. 

“Of course. The universe will always try to shove you in the right direction, though. Like how no matter how many times I got drunk and went to every single bar I could think of, the same cute guitar player was there. To sing, obviously, but then to try and “help me get home” or whatever.” Sunwoo snorted at Kevin’s dubious air quotes.

“Did he ever leave you alone?” Sunwoo asked, propping his chin on one hand. Kevin shook his head.

“Nope. Still hasn’t to this day.” Kevin smiled wistfully. 

Sunwoo found himself smiling as well. Guitar player, huh. Just like Jacob. He wondered if the universe would ever try and shove him together with someone.

Probably not. He had far too many complications to allow for another person in his life.

“Hey, I was thinking,” Kevin began.

“That’s dangerous. Cut it out.”

Kevin whacked him upside the head. “Since you’re so down, I figured a night out might do you some good. That map you brought home the other day showed a faerie club in our side of town. I figured we could go check it out.”

Sunwoo blinked. That… didn’t sound too bad. Maybe he could find something, or someone, to take his mind off things. 

“Great! I’ll tell the others you’re in.” Kevin bounded to his feet and made to leave.

“Huh? But I didn’t—” 

“We’ll leave at 9, okay?”

“Fine,” Sunwoo sighed. He glanced down at his outfit; a pair of human sweatpants and a dark hoodie that he’d bought because he’d seen Eric wear one once. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of the hunter and immediately went to change his clothes. 

He settled on a white cropped shirt and leather pants. He sheathed his dual elkhorn swords into thigh sheaths that Kevin bought for him, because, “You’ve got killer thighs, it’d be a shame to not draw attention to them.” 

Sunwoo wasn’t usually one for jewelry, but he ended up looping a heavy silver chain into a necklace. If hunters showed up and things got violent, he’d have another weapon.

Out in the living area, the other five faeries had dressed up as well. Chanhee had found a pale lace shirt somewhere that complimented his delicate features perfectly. Changmin had found a pair of leather suspenders to wear over his black turtleneck. _Huh,_ Sunwoo thought. _So dorky and dorkier clean up well._

“Sunny! You look so cute!” Jacob fussed around his face. “We don’t have to hide our horns, isn’t this great?”

“Yeah.” Sunwoo felt his stomach clench. This felt just like last week when he’d headed out to meet Eric at the lake. 

Kevin darted forward and crouched like he was preparing to give someone a piggyback ride. “Get on loser, we’re going clubbing!” 

Sunwoo laughed and shoved him over. “Let’s just go.” 

It was pitch black when they headed out, and Sunwoo kept stumbling into Sangyeon as the faerie clan inched nervously towards the club. They weren’t disguised, and they all knew hunters were more active at night. 

The bright light of Sunwoo’s phone momentarily blinded him. His hearts plummeted when he saw he had a text from Eric. 

_do u wanna meet up somewhere?? i rly wanna talk to u >.< _

He paused. Jacob glanced at him questioningly.

_pleaseee pls dont be mad sunny <3333 i can explain everything :D _

Sunwoo blocked his number.

The club had a line out the door when they arrived. The bouncer studied them, but it would have been hard for any human to pretend to be woodland fae, of all the faerie types, to try and sneak in. One glance at their horns and the bouncer nodded them inside. 

_“Fuck_ yes, Beyonce!” Kevin grabbed Jacob and the two disappeared into the thronging mass of dancing fae.

“I need a drink,” Chanhee declared, and he vanished. 

“Well, this is fun,” Changmin attempted. 

“Yeah, I’m having the time of my life,” Sunwoo deadpanned.

“I better not see you standing over here the whole night.” Sangyeon pushed them forward. “Go talk to people or dance or something.”

Sunwoo eyed Kevin twerking in the middle of the dance floor. “I’d rather not.”

He slunk off towards the bar, hoping to find Chanhee and get drunk or something. Anything to make this night better. 

Sunwoo whipped around as he thought he heard a familiar voice. He really needed to get Eric out of his thoughts. He was hearing the human boy everywhere.

Sangyeon and Changmin had disappeared. Sunwoo’s eyes cut through the room. The dance floor was primarily fae, but the bar had a few humans. They probably got in using fae currency.   
Whatever. Didn’t matter so long as no hunters showed up. 

He looked around for Chanhee, but the pink-haired faerie had disappeared as well. Great. Just his luck. 

“Dude, what is _iiiin_ this?” A very drunk human slurred from next to Sunwoo. The poor boy had definitely drunk faerie alcohol. It would take him days to sober up. “Can I get anothernother one?” 

Somehow the bartender understood what he was trying to say and went to pour him another drink. Sunwoo stepped in and swiped the glass before the human could raise it to his lips. “Bro.” The boy turned to him in anger, although the only emotion in his eyes was confusion. His round face was full of betrayal. “What the shit, my man?”

“This isn’t good for you.” Sunwoo chugged down the drink himself.

The human boy turned back to the bar and face planted down on the counter.

“Lightweights,” the bartender sniffed. 

Sunwoo grimaced. Well, he was already contemplating it. Might as well. 

He bent down and draped one of the human’s arms over his shoulder and hauled him out of his seat. 

“What are ya doiiinnn,” the boy flailed weakly and attempted in vain to free himself.

“Helping you, you dumb drunk fuck,” Sunwoo snapped. 

“Haknyeon?” Another human boy was shouldering his way through the crowd. ”I swear, if I see you mingling with a faerie….”

Uh oh. Hunter. An armed hunter. Which meant…. Sunwoo glanced down at the human leaning against him. Great. Just when he thought he’d escaped from hunters, he ended up accidentally helping them. 

“Younghoon!” The boy in Sunwoo’s arms, Haknyeon, flailed even stronger. “I’m here, come meet my Prince Charming!”

Fuck. That hunter couldn’t see Sunwoo with his buddy. He’d start a fight or something and find a way to make it Sunwoo’s fault. 

Younghoon the hunter was getting closer to them, but the crowd was keeping him at bay. Sunwoo needed to think of something, fast. 

He propped Haknyeon up so the human was standing on his feet. At least he was cute. 

Angling himself so his horns weren’t visible to the approaching human, Sunwoo grabbed Haknyeon by the sides of his face and crushed their lips together. 

It was not pleasant.

But it worked.

“Ugh,” Younghoon caught sight of Haknyeon’s condition and wrinkled his nose. “Nevermind. Come find me when you’re… done.”

The second the hunter turned to leave, Sunwoo shoved Haknyeon away from him and wiped his lips on the back of his hand.

“You’re pretty pretty,” Haknyeon told him solemnly. 

“Thanks.” What the hell did he do now? Sunwoo glanced around the crowd, feeling eyes on him. He located them. Fuck. 

“I don’t care that you’re a faerie,” Haknyeon slurred. “Love is love.”

Sunwoo didn’t break Eric’s gaze. The human’s eyes were filled with hurt and confusion. For some reason he hoped Eric hadn’t seen what he’d just done. 

He ditched Haknyeon in the middle of the dance floor and headed straight for Eric. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sunwoo hissed. He grabbed Eric by the collar and dragged him into the darkened back corner of the club. 

“I tried to text you but you blocked my number,” Eric choked out, grabbing at Sunwoo’s hands which tightened their grip dangerously close to his throat. 

Sunwoo’s eyes narrowed. He wanted to hate Eric so badly. Wanted to fill up his hearts with nothing but hatred to block out the other emotions swirling inside him. The ones that, no matter how hard he tried, couldn’t be angry with Eric. 

“Hunters have no business here,” he snarled. “Leave.”

“Please, just let me talk to you first,” Eric begged, eyes widened innocently.

“You are talking. And I’m done listening.” Sunwoo shoved him backward. Eric’s back hit the wall and he winced. 

He turned to leave and Eric grabbed his arm. “Sunwoo, all those things I told you about faeries are true! I don’t think about you like all the other hunters do—”

“But you haven’t done anything to stop them, have you?” Sunwoo spat. “And that makes you just as bad as them. There _are_ no good hunters. That’s an oxymoron.”

Eric’s face fell. “But you haven’t given me a chance.”

“You used your chance.” Sunwoo shoved off Eric’s hand. 

“Hey!” Eric grabbed at his shirt and tugged him back.

Sunwoo whirled around and grabbed Eric’s hands. _“Leave!”_ He bellowed, and twisted Eric’s arm painfully. He yelped, and Sunwoo ignored the guilty pain in his stomach and concern in his hearts. 

But Eric didn’t cry out anymore or cuss Sunwoo out; instead, his eyes fixed on something over Sunwoo’s shoulder. “Look out!” 

Sunwoo turned to see an iron blade swinging towards his head. “Shit,” he hissed, and ducked out of the way just in time. 

Eric’s friend Hyunjae. The hunters had found them. He should’ve been quieter. 

“Hyunjae, wait,” Eric called out, but the three hunters now surrounding them ignored him. 

“How dare you attempt to instigate a fight with a human? You should know better!” Hyunjae advanced on him, iron dagger keeping them at a distance.

Sunwoo casually pulled out his dual swords. Guess he was getting an opportunity to use them after all. Eric’s eyes followed Sunwoo’s hands to his thighs. Sunwoo caught the way his eyes lingered as he gulped. Shrugging, Sunwoo said, “Looks like you’re the one instigating a fight to me. But if you want one, you’ll get it.” 

He lunged forward, swords flashing under the club’s multicolored strobe lights. Hyunjae dodged his first strike with surprising agility, and Sunwoo leapt atop the nearest table for higher ground. The tallest hunter, the attractive one named Younghoon— it irritated Sunwoo that his brain was doing them the decency of remembering their names— tugged an iron chain from around his waist and snapped it towards the woodland faerie. Sunwoo snarled and snapped his pointed teeth. 

“You managed to get yourself cornered while we were all partying? This looks way more fun.” A whining voice from behind the hunters made them turn. Changmin had his arms crossed, a pout on his face. 

“You’re welcome to join in,” Sunwoo offered, relief flooding through him. Changmin grinned. 

“Oh, I’d love to.” 

A flash of darts had Haknyeon and Younghoon pinned to the wall, struggling. A few well-placed blows had their limbs dangling limply. 

Sunwoo faced off with Hyunjae. The lead hunter beckoned him forward, and Sunwoo leaped down, blades hurtling towards Hyunjae’s skull. The iron dagger came up to block him just in time. Sunwoo’s hand glanced off the blade and he hissed in pain as the skin immediately burned. Hyunjae grinned. 

He crouched and lunged again, sweeping Hyunjae’s leg. The hunter stumbled and barely managed to block Sunwoo’s strike. Sunwoo smirked. This was easy. He was keeping the hunter on the defensive. 

Hyunjae’s iron dagger stabbed dangerously close to Sunwoo’s first heart, and he hopped back out of the way. Changmin came to stand beside him.

Hyunjae lowered his dagger. Sunwoo turned to look behind them. The entire club had stopped dancing and was staring at them, the music still pulsing. 

“Hunters should know better than to come into fae turf and start trouble.” The owner of the club came to stand between the fae and the hunters. 

Hyunjae sheathed his dagger and bowed. “We were doing our best to keep order.”

“Didn’t look like it,” Chanhee snarked from where he’d appeared, draping himself over Changmin’s arm.

“We’re on our way out now, anyway.” Hyunjae gestured for the hunters to follow him, and they practically ran out of there. Sunwoo couldn’t keep his eyes off of Eric as the younger human passed him. It was the way the colorful club lights reflected off of his hair that made it glow like that, made his eyes glitter. The hunter was wearing a shirt with only one sleeve, one muscular arm on display. Sunwoo swallowed and pointedly looked away. _I am not looking. I am respectfully, definitely, not looking._

“Shouldn’t we stay and defend our honor or something?”

Sunwoo snorted as his ears picked up Younghoon’s remark. 

“Doesn’t matter. We got what we came for, anyway.” Hyunjae’s response made him freeze. What was he talking about?

Chanhee tapped him on the shoulder. “Wanna go get some food?”

Sunwoo sighed. Maybe a post-fight meal wasn’t a horrible idea. As long as Sangyeon was paying. “Let’s go.”

The club was next-door to a 24-hour fae restaurant, and the six of them collapsed into a booth immediately. Changmin ate one fry and passed out on Sunwoo’s shoulder. Sunwoo inhaled his cucumber rabbit sandwich, hoping for all the good luck he could get. Jacob sipped his milkweed tea and carefully watched Kevin gulp down a full glass of water. 

“He’ll sober up soon,” Jacob assured them doubtfully. 

“That was wild,” Kevin gasped. “I feel so alive.”

“I think you’re feeling your oncoming hangover,” Chanhee told him.

“That too.”

Sunwoo snorted. It was all he could do to keep up with their conversation. He was in no way inclined to join in. 

Why the hell were Eric and his hunter buddies at the club? What did they think they would do there, besides get Haknyeon wasted on fae alcohol? 

Sunwoo gripped his glass until it fractured. Eric was starting to piss him off, he told himself. Sunwoo was angry with him. Therefore, there should be some sort of angry emotion registering within him whenever he thought of Eric. So why wasn’t there? 

Jacob rested a hand on Sunwoo’s shoulder. “I know that was scary. But it’s over now. Let’s go home, alright?”

The clan trooped back to their apartment. Changmin dragged his feet sleepily. “Is it just me, or does it smell more strongly like human than usual?” He asked around a yawn. 

Sangyeon hesitated. “It always smells strongly like human.” He took the lead in walking up the stairs to their home. Once outside the door, he paused. “Changmin’s right. Something’s off.” 

Sunwoo felt panic seize his hearts. “What do you mean?”

Sangyeon pushed the door open. It gave easily. “The lock was broken.”

Kevin’s head snapped up. “Someone broke in?”

The door swung open completely. They all gasped. 

The living room area had been completely destroyed. The couch was overturned and ripped apart. The table had been knocked over and dishes were shattered all over the ground. Every cabinet and drawer hung off its hinges. 

“Check the bedrooms! See if anything was taken!” Sangyeon ordered. Sunwoo darted to his and Chanhee’s room. His Nintendo Switch was broken, but he’d done that himself. 

“Motherfuckers took my Animal Crossing cd,” Sunwoo grumbled, even though it was useless to him now. 

Nothing else was missing, so he went back out to the living area. Sangyeon paced anxiously. Kevin and Jacob were the last to return from their room. Jacob looked absolutely stricken. 

“Well?” Sangyeon asked. The tension in the room rose.

“They took my guitar,” Jacob whispered. Sunwoo felt himself relax. He’d feared for the worst, whatever that may be. 

“That’s fine, Jacob. We can get you a new one,” Sangyeon promised with a smile. 

Jacob shook his head, eyes unfocused and unseeing. “No. We can’t.”

Chanhee was the first to catch on. “Hold on. This is worse than we realize, isn’t it?”

Kevin’s face turned to one of dread. Jacob stared at the floor. “I’m so sorry.” An acoustic guitar. One with a hollow compartment inside.

“Jacob,” Sangyeon said carefully. “What was in that guitar?” 

Jacob swallowed and finally raised his head. Following his gaze, all eyes turned to his mate. “Kevin’s heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lot of shit just happened but the important stuff is in the details. hope u remember all the dialogue hehe  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	12. 12. Boss Bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The twelfth chapter is the one where we finally meet the twelfth member... i love accidental symbolism

12\. Boss Bitch

Eric curled his knees up to his chest and tucked his head down between them. He didn’t want to see anyone and he didn’t want anyone to see him.

He had no explanation for what he’d done. How could he have done that? He’d been so determined to prove to Sunwoo that he was _different._ He was _good._ And then they’d started a fight at a faerie club, in faerie territory, for no reason. And then, to top that off, as they were leaving the club, Hyunjae had picked up the scent of the woodland fae clan he was tracking. They followed it to their apartment and broke in. 

Eric had stayed off to the side, trying to melt into the thin walls while Hyunjae ripped apart the furniture and Haknyeon raided the bedrooms. Younghoon flipped through the books left out in the living room. Eric thought of the book Sunwoo had given him. He wondered if there were any like it here. Well, a little peek wouldn’t hurt….

He peeked over Younghoon’s shoulder. “You interested in faerie recipes?” Younghoon asked dryly.

“Oh. Yeah, a little.” Maybe it was by the same author as the one Sunwoo got him. Where had he gotten it again? 

_Found this in my friend’s room. Idk where he got it._

His friend was probably a faerie. Eric rolled his eyes. Obviously Sunwoo wouldn’t have just told him that, but it was pretty obvious now. _Wonder if his friend has this book too._

Younghoon snapped the book closed and tossed it onto the smashed table. Eric froze. What if his friend _did_ have that book, and Eric was looking at it right now?

No. He couldn’t be standing in Sunwoo’s house. What were the odds of that? Woodland fae in cities were rare, but there had to be more than just one clan, right?

“I don’t want to spend any more time here. Let’s go.” Hyunjae reappeared and hustled them towards the front door. “What the hell do you have there?”

Haknyeon was still drunk off his ass on faerie liquor. He’d scored an Animal Crossing cd, as well as….

“What are you going to do with an acoustic guitar? Do you even play?” Younghoon snarked as they hurried back down to their car. 

Haknyeon shrugged. “Felt important.”

Eric could get out of returning to his parents’ place by claiming his hunter work needed him to stay with the crew overnight. But given their search hadn’t turned up much, it was unlikely going through their haul would take more than an hour. Looked like he’d have to go home after all. 

“Dude, this thing’s, like, heavy.” Back at the hotel, Haknyeon squinted through the strings of the guitar. 

“It’s a guitar,” Younghoon deadpanned. 

“Yeah, but—” Haknyeon gave it a shake. “I think there’s something inside.” 

Hyunjae straightened up. “Let’s get it out.” As Hyunjae pulled a thin knife from his pocket, Haknyeon gave the guitar another shake. A heavy thud from inside confirmed it for them. 

Hyunjae sliced through the strings and flipped the guitar over. Something fell out of it and landed on the bedspread with a thump.

Haknyeon screeched and launched himself back. “Ew! Gross! Nasty! Yuck! Get it away from me!” 

“Haknyeon, this is _amazing.”_ Hyunjae’s eyes were glowing. Eric peeked out from between his knees to get a look. He immediately looked away, feeling nauseous. “We’ve got one of their hearts. Now, if we can track it down, we can kill it more easily.”

Eric swallowed. What if his hunch was right, and it was one of Sunwoo’s friends? What if the heart belonged to a nice faerie? Their mate hid their heart in a guitar. They must like music. Something in his mind began to ring like a bell. 

_You should follow my boyfriend too. He’s really into music._

No. It couldn’t be. The threads fit together too perfectly.

_I know whose heart that is._

“Hm? What did you say, Eric?” Hyunjae turned to look at him expectantly. Eric’s heart began to thump rapidly as he realized he’d mumbled the words out loud. “You know who this belongs to?”

“N-no, sorry, I was just saying— I _wish_ I knew whose heart that is,” Eric said quickly. He’d lied. He’d lied to Hyunjae about the faerie clan they were tracking. Why was he betraying his crew to protect a faerie he didn’t even know? This wasn’t the right thing to do. Or… it wasn’t what he was _supposed_ to do.

“If you know whose it is, tell us immediately.” Hyunjae’s eyes were gleaming.

Eric swallowed. He needed to prioritize his hunter family over a cute faerie boy he’d known for a couple of weeks. “Kevin Moon. The heart belongs to a faerie named Kevin Moon.”

Eric thought of how anxious Kevin had been after injuring Eric, how he’d raced to get him ice and been so friendly with a stranger. _There’s no way Kevin’s a faerie,_ he’d said. Kevin had deceived him. And now, he’d probably get murdered for it.

“Well, we can’t exactly waltz around with a faerie heart. It’s pretty noticeable to other fae. We’ll need to find somewhere, or someone, to watch it for us,” Hyunjae pointed out.

“Maybe Juyeon? You seemed pretty close with him,” Younghoon suggested. Hyunjae quickly shook his head.

“He’d never agree to do this for me.”

Eric slowly raised his head again. He thought of middle school hallways, and one-sided confessions, and trendy fashion choices and knowing smirks shared past midnight. “I know a guy.”

“Your guy wants to meet us here?” Hyunjae stuffed his hands in his pockets. “This looks super sketchy, Eric.”

It wasn’t the building itself that made him feel that way. It was like every other human club, bright and flashy and almost shaking from the volume of the music. But it was the quality of person one typically went to meet at a club that made it sketchy.

“He’s not sketchy,” Eric promised, although it had been a few years since they’d seen each other. His warning text had been left on read, and that was enough for him to assume their meeting was successfully set. “Let’s go. He’s probably waiting.”

The club was packed, a dancing throng surging towards a stage where a live band was playing. Eric led the hunters through the crowd towards a table closer to the stage. He wanted to get a good view.

“Here is good,” Eric yelled to Hyunjae. 

_“What?”_ Hyunjae leaned in close, but the band was playing too loudly, too close to them to make out anything being said. 

Eric pushed them into the round booth closest to the stage and made Haknyeon, the only one who could make himself loud enough to call over a server and still nursing a painful hangover, order them drinks. 

“Is your guy coming?” Younghoon shouted in Eric’s ear. Eric kept his eyes fixed on stage. Singer, bassist, drummer, two guitarists. Standard band set-up. The lead guitarist was the one closest to them. His slender fingers danced over the frets, choppy black hair sticking to his forehead. 

“He’s here,” Eric shouted back. 

“What?”

The lead guitarist locked eyes with Eric while he played. Those slanted, cat-like eyes that captured everything in their surroundings. That dimpled smirk that captured Eric’s heart way back in middle school.

“What’s your friend’s name?” Hyunjae yelled. 

“He doesn’t go by the name I know him by,” Eric tried to explain. “He’s a bounty hunter.”

“What?” A cacophony of voices met him. Eric winced. 

“Why didn’t you tell us this?” Hyunjae suddenly didn’t need to shout as loud. The band had stopped playing. The lead guitarist shrugged off his guitar and pushed past an eager crowd of female onlookers. He shrugged a leather jacket over his black crop top and made his way to their table. 

“Looks like we got someone’s attention,” Haknyeon muttered as the dance music picked up again, thankfully quieter than the band. 

“That’s who we’re here for.” Eric leaned back as the guitarist approached. He swallowed. Well now. There was no need to be trying _this_ hard. 

Heo Hyunjoon had dressed in a tight crop top, vinyl pants, and heeled boots that tied off at his thighs. He swept his dark mullet out of his face and smirked down at their table. 

“Eric Sohn. It’s been a while.” Hyunjoon threw himself down next to Eric, arm around the booth behind him. 

“So who the hell are you, exactly?” Younghoon narrowed his eyes. 

“I’m a bounty hunter,” Hyunjoon said, raising his eyebrows. He grabbed Eric’s drink and took a swig. 

“Besides that. What are you called?” Hyunjae jumped in.

“I’m Hwall.”

“What’s your real name?” Hyunjae sighed.

Hyunjoon smirked. “Now that’s not the question you asked, is it?”

“Alright, listen. We need a favor.” Hyunjae leaned forward. “Can we trust you to keep your mouth shut?”

Hyunjoon dragged two fingers across his mouth and twisted it shut. 

“Okay, good enough. We need you to keep a faerie’s heart safe for us.”

Hyunjoon snorted. “What, am I your human refrigerator?”

Hyunjae frowned. “Please don’t keep it somewhere cold. It should be kept warm, so it can last longer and help us find who it belongs to.”

“I’m assuming you don’t want to find them so you can return it.” Hyunjoon levelled his eyes with Hyunjae. His confidence was beginning to unnerve the hunter.

“No.” Hyunjae crossed his arms. “You three go outside. I’ll give him the details in private.”

Hyunjoon grinned. “Ooh, if it’s private you want, I know someplace a lot nicer.” He winked. 

Flustered, Hyunjae straightened his shirt and stammered, “Um, no, I just… listen.”

Hyunjoon leaned forward. “You listen. Let’s set something straight. You’re asking _me_ for a favor. Which I’ll do, for my friend Eric. You’re trusting _me_ with something valuable. So you’re gonna let me do it my way. _I’m_ the boss bitch here.”

Hyunjae sat unmoving for a moment more. “Wait outside.” 

Eric, Younghoon, and Haknyeon filed outside the club, the lattermost grumbling in annoyance. 

“At least he’s not charging us for this,” Younghoon spoke up once they found themselves out in the cold. 

“He’ll probably find a way to eventually,” Eric sighed, desperately trying to heat his hands. Haknyeon tugged a pair of gloves out of his jacket pocket.

“For emergencies,” he explained with a wink, waving them towards Eric.

Eric laughed. “Thanks.”

Haknyeon could think of a million possibilities for every situation, and sometimes, it came in handy. 

“How do you know that guy, anyway?” Younghoon asked. 

“We used to go to school together,” Eric said absently, mind swirling. Seeing Hyunjoon again had been weird. Seeing him in that environment, under that name, had been weirder. He knew what his friend had been up to, but experiencing it was… different.

“Must have been pretty close for him to do you a favor even after all these years,” Haknyeon inferred.

“We’ve kept in touch,” Eric replied, because it was kind of true. He’d spoken to Hyunjoon enough to know how his life was going, but never in much detail. They’d gone their separate ways at the start of high school, Eric becoming a faerie hunter under Hyunjae’s instruction and Hyunjoon joining the freeform world of bounty hunting, where sides were never chosen. “Maybe it’d be nice to talk again.”

Hyunjoon was his only connection to his life before becoming a hunter. The only friend he’d even _had_ before high school. And now, other than the hunters, a few kids in his classes… and Sunwoo. 

Sunwoo. He’d certainly gone past the point of no return now. He’d never get Sunwoo to forgive him. Especially not with Kevin’s heart about to be handed over to Hwall.

But this could only mean their paths were about to become even more intertwined. They wouldn’t be able to avoid each other now. And somehow, Eric couldn’t stop himself from looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its about time we get to see hyunjoon!! i miss him so much TT  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	13. 13. A Fragile Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for all my moonbae fans, pls dont hate me theyre my favorite ship i just like to make them suffer  
> also curly checkmate kevin is my obsession and i will put him in here as many times as i like

13\. A Fragile Bond

It had been days since he’d gotten a good night of sleep. It was less Sunwoo’s ability to fall asleep and more the obstacles that prevented it. 

He and Chanhee had fallen into the habit, over the last week, of staying up late together bingeing popular human shows to block out the sound of Kevin and Jacob arguing from the room next door. It wasn’t as annoying as much as it was sad.

Sunwoo had known Kevin and Jacob for almost his entire life, and he had never once seen them fight. It was… certainly an experience. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I in your way?” Kevin’s voice drifted through the walls, and Chanhee turned up the volume on Teen Wolf. They’d just finished their binge of Pretty Little Liars, and Sunwoo was reeling from the plot twists. He’d figured sexy werewolves would help him forget their current situation, but it didn’t seem to be working.

“Nope, you’re totally fine.” Jacob’s voice sounded tired. Sunwoo felt bad for him. He’d been putting up with Kevin’s passive-aggressiveness and outright snappiness nonstop for a whole week. Sunwoo had never realized just how annoying Kevin could be when he was doing it on purpose. 

Jacob had been doing his best to defuse any tension between Kevin and the other faeries. He knew Kevin’s anger was aimed at him and he wasn’t down with it being directed at anyone else. 

A knock on the door startled Chanhee off the bed. Sunwoo paused the episode and leaned over to open the door.

“Hey.” 

“Kevin!” Chanhee popped up from the floor. “What did we do?”

Kevin paused. “What? You didn’t do anything. I just wanted to know if you know where Jacob’s been going.”

Sunwoo and Chanhee exchanged a glance. “Huh?” Sunwoo asked.

“He’s been leaving and going somewhere for hours sometimes, and he isn’t telling me where he’s going.” Kevin’s casual tone wasn’t fooling them.

“What, you worried about him?” Chanhee grinned. 

“What? No, I just want to know what the hell he’s up to.” 

“I dunno. Jacob doesn’t really talk to us anymore.” Sunwoo rolled over and stood up. “He’s been a little too busy trying to keep you away from us.”

“What?” Kevin scoffed. He folded his arms and examined the floor. “What are you talking about?”

“If you want to know where Jacob is, maybe you should try, I don’t know, talking to him. He messed up, but it wasn’t, you know….” Sunwoo paused. “His fault.” Was he still talking about Jacob? Or was his mind drifting to Eric now?

Kevin seemed adamant on avoiding the truth. “Whatever.” Sunwoo almost wished he’d stay when Kevin turned to leave. He’d rather be focused on Kevin and Jacob’s issue than anything to do with Eric. 

“What _do_ you think Jacob’s up to?” Chanhee asked in the silence that followed.

“Hm?” Sunwoo had forgotten all about what Kevin had come to them about. His mind was swirling with thoughts of bleached blonde hair and adorable lisps and grammatically incorrect texts. 

“I hope he’s not getting into anything dangerous. Sangyeon said we should stay away from hunters, not go after them.”

Sunwoo sat up. Hunters. Of course. If a hunter took Kevin’s heart, then a hunter might know who has it. 

But….

Did he really want to see Eric right now?

….Yes. Desperately. But… he couldn’t. He _shouldn’t._ Seeing Eric would be dangerous. One more glimpse of his star-filled eyes and sweet, innocent smile, and Sunwoo would never be able to walk away again. 

“You’re right. Jacob’s not as smart as we give him credit for. I bet he’s doing something stupid to try and get Kevin’s heart back.” Sunwoo levelled his gaze with Chanhee. “Someone should go after him.”

Chanhee nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

Sunwoo froze. He barked a laugh. “You’re not coming with me. This is _my_ solo mission. Besides, you’ve gotta cover for me with Sangyeon.”

“What? How is _that_ fair?” Chanhee crossed his arms. “I should go and you should stay.”

“I’m the one with the swords. You’re the one with the fancy herbs. Who do you think will do better against hunters?” Sunwoo was already standing and strapping on his sheaths. “Besides. Hunters stole Kevin’s heart. None of this is fair.” He grabbed his swords and went out.

Chanhee would cover for him. He didn’t have to waste time fabricating excuses to Sangyeon. Of course, Sunwoo mused, tugging his heavy hood over his horns and hoping it would stay, Jacob could do a much better job of blending in. Faerie dust gave him the ability to appear human, whereas the most Sunwoo could do with faerie dust was sprinkle it on top of his almond squirrel cookies.

But faerie dust left a trail. Undetectable to humans, but easy enough for Sunwoo to follow. Jacob’s scent was warm and familiar, and Sunwoo felt a sense of comfort swirl around him as he followed it. 

He missed the familial love Kevin and Jacob’s relationship brought their clan. It was only when they were fighting that Sunwoo realized just how much they did to keep the faeries together. It was Kevin’s understanding and humor, and Jacob’s unconditional support, that let Sunwoo have someone to confide in. And he’d lost that. Because of hunters. But he was going to get it back. 

Jacob’s trail stopped outside a cafe where his scent became so overpowering that Sunwoo lost his direction for a moment. He glanced around carefully before stepping inside. It was late enough that there was hardly anyone about, but he couldn’t let his guard down. 

“Welcome!” The girl behind the counter looked up when he walked in. She looked him up and down and smiled. “Would you like to see our woodland fae specials?”

Sunwoo froze. He reached slowly for his swords. How did she—

“You… are fae, right? I may have gotten that wrong. Sometimes humans wander in here on accident.” The girl glanced around uncertainly. They were alone in the cafe.

Sunwoo sighed in relief. So it was a faerie establishment. He must have wandered into the fae side of town without realizing it.

“Yeah.” He tugged his hood off, feeling exposed with his horns in the open. 

“It’s rare to see a woodland faerie in the city,” the girl remarked. Sunwoo approached the counter.

“Have you seen anyone else like me? A woodland faerie, who came through here?”

The girl tipped her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“What about someone who looked human? He would’ve been using faerie dust to disguise himself.”

The girl smiled nervously. “A lot of people use faerie dust to disguise themselves. I can’t tell what race they are when it’s hidden….”

Sunwoo sighed. So this was a deadend. “Alright. Thanks anyway.” Maybe he should have bought something to make it worth her time, but he didn’t have the hearts or the money for that.

Where the hell could Jacob be? Sunwoo reached for his phone to check the time. The second he had it in his hand he realized the solution. Jacob would never decline a call from one of his babies. 

Jacob picked up on the second ring. “Sunwoo!”

“Where the fuck are you at?” Sunwoo demanded. He pulled his hood back up over his head, eyes sweeping the street. 

“Did Kevin tell you I’ve been going out?”

“Yes, but it’s also obvious from your absence at home.”

“Oh. Right.” He heard Jacob sigh. “Please don’t look for me, Sunny.”

“Pass. Where are you?”

“I’m on the fae side of town.”

“Me too. I’ll come find you.”

“Sunwoo—”

“Jacob, what are you up to?” Sunwoo fiddled with his swords. “We’re worried.”

“Kevin’s worried?” Jacob audibly perked up. Sunwoo felt his hearts clench. 

“We’re all worried.” It wasn’t what Jacob wanted to hear, but it was the closest thing to the truth. 

“I’m back at the club where we ran into those hunters. I’ll meet you outside.”

Sunwoo sighed in relief. Finally, he’d get some answers.

Jacob didn’t look happy when Sunwoo found him. The faerie looked entirely human standing outside the club. He raised his head when Sunwoo approached and attempted a halfhearted smile.

“What did you think you were doing?” Sunwoo snapped.

“Following any sort of lead I can get,” Jacob said defensively as they turned to go back home.

“This is really all about Kevin’s heart?” Sunwoo asked.

“Yes! What else would it be about?”

“You two aren’t fighting about anything else, right? This just seems… like you’re both majorly blowing things out of proportion.” Sunwoo watched Jacob out of the corner of his eye. 

Jacob sighed. “This is a really big deal, Sunwoo. But also… I guess since we’ve never fought before, all our real feelings are just coming out.” He stared at the ground. “It sucks.”

Sunwoo smiled and squeezed Jacob’s shoulder. “Well, I’m sure if anyone can work this out, it’s you and Kev. I’ve never seen anyone so sickeningly in love in my life.”

Jacob’s first genuine smile Sunwoo had seen in a week, albeit a small one, flickered to life on his face. “Really? I’m sorry about that, but also not.”

Sunwoo grinned. 

Sunwoo managed to get a full night of sleep. Jacob must have done something to tame Kevin’s temper for the night. 

The next morning was worse.

Kevin stayed in his room long after everyone else had woken up. Sunwoo hesitated outside his door. It felt wrong to not be on friendly speaking terms with Kevin anymore, but no one was at the moment. 

Sunwoo knocked on the door. “Don’t come in!” Kevin’s voice yelled with surprising volume from inside. It sounded like he was just on the other side of the door. 

“You don’t even know who I am,” Sunwoo pointed out. 

“I don’t care!”

Jacob appeared over Sunwoo’s shoulder. He smiled reassuringly. “Let me try.”

Normally, Jacob would be able to sooth anything Kevin was going through. And that went for the rest of them as well. But now, he might only make it worse.

“Kevin?” Jacob knocked on the door uncertainly. “It’s Jakey.”

“Go the fuck away!” Something hit the door and Jacob flinched. 

“Let’s go sit down.” Sunwoo tugged him away. 

Kevin came slinking out of his room a few minutes later. Sangyeon insisted they all sit down for breakfast together. Changmin had managed to find them a new wooden table through mysterious means after the hunters had demolished the old one. 

Faeries typically didn’t need to eat breakfast, but this was meant to be symbolic, Sangyeon told them.

“Symbolic of what?” Chanhee yawned.

“Us coming together and not arguing!” Sangyeon said cheerfully.

Kevin folded his arms. “Oh, so you’re taking a stab at me now, are you?”

Sangyeon frowned. “No, I just meant—”

“He wasn’t talking about you, Kevin, he was just trying to say it’s good how we’re all together as a family,” Jacob spoke up.

“Now you’re trying to be all “not everything is about you, Kevin”, aren’t you? What’s your problem, Jacob?” Kevin didn’t look like he was as happy about their family bonding as the rest of them. His curly black hair hung into his eyes, framed by dark purple marks. He clearly hadn’t been sleeping any better than Sunwoo. 

“I— I don’t have a problem,” Jacob protested nervously. “I’m just saying—”

“Well, then maybe you should stop saying anything.” Kevin glared at him. Sangyeon stirred his seaweed soup nervously. Chanhee and Changmin exchanged knowing glances.

Jacob pursed his lips and looked down.

“I’m getting seriously tired of the attitude in this house,” Kevin snapped. “Why is everyone against me? _I’m_ the one whose heart got stolen. Shouldn’t I be getting sympathy?”

“Everyone’s not against you, Kevin,” Jacob assured him. Kevin ignored him.

“You haven’t done anything to deserve sympathy,” Chanhee piped up. Kevin’s head snapped around frighteningly hard to stare at him.

“What was that?”

“All you’ve done is make Jacob miserable. He didn’t even do anything wrong,” Chanhee pointed out.

“I don’t remember asking you what you think, Chanhee,” Kevin snarled. “I’m so fucking sick of this house, I can’t possibly imagine how all of us can continue to live together.”

“Maybe one of us should leave, then,” Jacob suggested coldly. Kevin stared at him evenly.

“Maybe we should.”

Jacob looked startled by Kevin’s response, as if he hadn’t been expecting him to actually agree. 

“Both of you better cut this the fuck out. _Now.”_ Sangyeon spoke up, his voice firm and startling to the other faeries in its seriousness. “Your mate bond is so important. You need to take care of it. Jacob doesn’t have Kevin’s heart anymore, which means your bond is fragile right now. Your matehood is in danger. If you keep this up, your bond could snap.” He didn’t elaborate on what that meant, but from his dark tone, enough was implied.

A heartsbeat of silence fell over the table. “Wait, is that actually a thing?” Jacob asked nervously. He exchanged a panicked look with Kevin.

“I didn’t actually mean any of it,” Kevin blurted, reaching out to grab Jacob’s hand.

“Yeah, me either,” Jacob added, squeezing Kevin’s hand reassuringly. And just like that, things were back to normal. 

Sangyeon smiled. “You’ve never fought before, and you need to learn how to talk through your problems instead of just avoiding them. Otherwise, they’ll all boil over like this.”

“I hated this. I don’t want to fight with anyone ever again.” Kevin slammed his head into the table. Sunwoo winced even though he knew it was just for dramatic effect.

Jacob stroked Kevin’s dark curls with a soft smile on his face.

“I sure hope you don’t,” Changmin muttered.

“I know it’s not your fault my heart was stolen. But I’m really scared,” Kevin mumbled into the table. He raised his head to blink sadly at his mate.

“I know. And I’ll get it back. I promise.” Jacob had absolutely no way of fulfilling that promise. He was chasing empty leads and had nowhere to start. But Sunwoo had somewhere to start. Fuck, he was actually going to do this. 

_It’s for Jacob and Kevin,_ he told himself as he rose from the table and headed for his room. _It’s for the sake of their relationship, and for Kevin’s life. And also because… well, if they can forgive each other, maybe…._ No. This is different. _He_ doesn’t get forgiveness. Or a second chance. Not yet. 

He’s just Sunwoo’s best connection that could help him right now. Because no matter how much this would hurt Sunwoo, it was worth it for his (kind of) dads. 

With that thought placed firmly in his mind, Sunwoo picked up his phone and unblocked Eric’s number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it'll get worse before it gets better, ok? next week is gonna be rough but yall can get through it. i believe in you. i am kinda scared though.  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	14. 14. Different path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> READ NOTES BEFORE READING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man i am... really not looking forward to seeing yall's responses to this one. remember to take a deep breath and dont try and read it all in one go if its too much, ok?  
> so remember that graphic depictions of violence warning i put on this fic? yeah, that's for this chapter.  
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> graphic depictions of blood, knives, corpses, panic attacks  
> *posts chapter and runs*

14\. Different path

The sudden ringing of his phone jerked Eric out of his concentration. It’d taken him three hours to be able to sit down and face his math homework. And now that he’d finally gotten past writing his name at the top of the page, a distraction barrelled its way in. 

Only the hope that it might be Sunwoo with a change of heart made him drop his pencil and fling his arm out towards the offending device. Disappointment rushed through him when he saw who was calling. But, it was likely an important work thing, and he couldn’t afford to let it drop.

“Hey, Hyunjae.” Eric tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “What’s up?”

“Eric, we need you.” The urgency in Hyunjae’s tone made him bolt upright. “We’re gotten a hold of a rogue faerie and we need extra hands restraining him.”

“Where are y’all at?” Eric stood immediately, placing the phone on speaker and shrugging off his soft sweater. He threw open his closet and shoved his everyday clothes to the side. He’d clean his mess later. 

At the back of his closet, in a black duffle bag, he kept his hunter clothes and supplies. Eric left his doubts and uncertainties on the floor of his room with his pastel sweaters and replaced them with a hardened shell of duty and sleek black clothes. 

“Alley behind your high school. Don’t alert anyone to where you’re going. Be careful.”

“Got it.” Eric pocketed his phone and shouldered the bag. Luckily, his parents were watching TV, and the volume of the Simpsons drowned out his sneaking footsteps.

He arrived at his school in a manner of minutes. It was alarming how foreboding it appeared now, looming up before him as if warning him that things were about to change. 

The three hunters stood behind their black van, the back doors flung open and revealing all of their hunting equipment. Sharpened iron knives, jars of frog legs, carved wooden talismans. Eric swallowed and jogged to stand beside Younghoon. “Fill me in,” he hissed to the tallest hunter. Before him were Haknyeon, shifting his weight, and Hyunjae, leaning over a crumpled figure on the ground whose face was obscured by the night.

“We were patrolling the area and found him slinking around back here. Hyunjae thought he was suspicious so we’re been interrogating him.”

Eric nodded. Well, if the faerie was suspicious, then they weren’t an innocent person, right? “Do you know what species they are?” He asked, reaching for one of his books.

“Dunno. That’s your area. Looked like he had gills or something on his neck, though,” Younghoon mused.

“Got it. Seaside fae.” Eric flipped through the pages of his book. Written by the famous hunter Kim Seungmin, it contained knowledge of the best ways to capture each individual species of fae. “Well first step would be to isolate them from any sea or large source of water. We’re in the middle of a city, so I think we’ve got that covered,” Eric joked. Younghoon cracked a smile. 

“Eric.” Hyunjae turned around to face them. “Come help me. I’m having trouble finding his second heart.”

“Oh— right,” Eric stammered, and stuffed his book away. He’d been hoping he wouldn’t have to do anything hands-on.

He stared down at the faerie. Pale, stringy hair concealed his face, but he looked small and petite. Part of Eric wanted to treat him like a patient, ask for his help. But he was a target, not a client. Then the faerie raised his head, and Eric gasped.

“Eric?” The faerie’s voice raised with hope. “Eric, it’s me! It’s Felix! Remember? We have classes together! We eat together sometimes too— Eric, please, mate, you gotta help me—”

“Eric, you know this kid?” Something about Hyunjae referring to a faerie as “kid” seemed off to Eric, but he had no time to process that under the shock of seeing Felix.

“I— yeah, we’re classmates.” His eyes raked over Felix’s face, taking in his glimmering eyes, freckle-filled face, and quivering lips. “But he’s not a….” Eric trailed off, the defense dying on his lips. To say _Felix is not a faerie_ would be a blatant untruth. The gills and faint scale patterns were clear on his neck, as were the thin webs between his trembling fingers. The evidence was right before him, yet it made no sense.

Felix knew Eric was a hunter— all his friends did. So why had he continued to hang around him if he knew he could be in danger?

_You’re not like the others. You’re different._

Oh. So Felix had put his faith in Eric and risked his life in the process. A mistake on his part.

Eric wasn’t different. There was no reason to have faith in him at all. 

“Eric,” Felix began to beg again. “Please. I’ll let you copy my biology homework and cheat off me for quizzes and anything else you want, but please, please help me.” The flickering hope in Felix’s eyes seemed to fade as he watched Eric’s uncertainty fade to determination.

“Can you just help me locate your heart, Felix? Please. It’ll make this so much easier.” Eric glanced at Hyunjae, who shot him a small smile and squeezed his shoulder. Just a taste of validation from Hyunjae was enough to set his heart in stone. 

Felix’s face fell. His head flopped towards the pavement once more, before he raised his eyes defiantly. “You won’t find it,” he told them with a grim smile. 

Hyunjae lunged forward and slammed Felix up against the brick wall behind him. “You can’t trick us that easily. You’re too young to have mated already, so it’s got to be in you.” He pulled an narrow iron blade out of a sheath. The only metal faeries couldn’t heal from.

Before Felix, or Eric, or anybody could protest, he flipped the blade around and sank it into Felix’s chest, effectively piercing his first heart. Felix gasped, his body stiffening. Blood surged up around the wound, but Hyunjae didn’t remove the knife. The thick, oozing liquid began to slide down the hilt and drip onto Hyunjae’s fingers. Blood that was more blackish blue than red. Seaside faerie blood. 

The wound wouldn’t kill him, but permanently losing one of his hearts wasn’t a fun experience. It would keep him weakened and more human than magical. More blood gurgled up through Felix’s mouth, spilling out between his lips as he began to laugh. He held up a hand to show a now bloodcovered ring on his appropriately named ring finger. 

Hyunjae’s head whipped towards Eric. “What is that?” He demanded.

Eric swallowed. “It’s a new trend young faeries are doing to show they’re mated. They exchange rings, inspired by the human wedding ritual.” 

Hyunjae snarled. “So you _are_ mated. In high school. Gross. Although, who knows how old you really are.” He glanced back towards Eric. “No chance you know who his mate is, I assume?”

“No, I—” Eric froze as a memory came to him. Sitting in history class, working on a project with Felix. Felix’s phone rang, a picture of him and another boy filling the screen. The other boy was kissing his cheek, and the contact name had just about a billion heart emojis next to it. 

“Who’s that?” Eric had asked in teasing curiosity. 

“Oh, nobody,” Felix had said, slipping his phone under the table. “Kind of my boyfriend.” His blush was more than telling to Eric now.

“Seo Changbin.” At the sound of the name, Felix’s head shot up, despair filling his expression. “His name is Seo Changbin.”

Younghoon stepped forward. “I’ve heard that name. He owns a seafood bar at the end of town. We can split up and—”

“On it,” Hyunjae interrupted. “Eric, Haknyeon, you two head there and finish off his mate. Eric, do you know where this kid lives?” Behind him, Felix slumped over onto the pavement. “We need to find his mate’s heart as soon as possible to make your life easier.”

Eric was about to say he didn’t, but then he realized with a sickening feeling that he actually did. During that same group project he’d ended up going to Felix’s house to work on it one night. And even though he felt bad dooming Felix to his fate, how could he turn his back on Hyunjae, who’d taken him in and practically treated him better than his own parents, who’d taught Eric so much, who was now expecting this from him?

“Yeah. I’ll text it to you.” Eric began to back away. 

“Good. You and Haknyeon take the van. His mate’s place is farther.” Hyunjae gestured to Younghoon, and the two began to haul Felix forward with them. Eric quickly texted him Felix’s address, hitting send before the guilt ate him alive.

Haknyeon hopped into the driver’s seat, and Eric settled uneasily beside him. “You alright, kid?” Haknyeon asked, using the nickname Hyunjae always used. The thought made him smile. He missed when Hyunjae had been more kind and carefree. Before the city. Before complications. Before Sunwoo.

Thinking of Sunwoo in the midst of all this made his heart hurt. Ache, was a better word. It wasn’t a sharp stabbing sensation like what Hyunjae had done to Felix. It was a bittersweet pain that felt it would last forever. Sunwoo did that to him. Made him think about things like forever.

“Eric?” Eric remembered that Haknyeon had asked him a question.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright.”

“Hey, this shit’s tough. But you know we’re all really proud of you for everything you’ve done with us, right? I know Hyunjae can be a bit of a hardass and Younghoon’s kinda cold, but we all care about you. Like it or not, we’re family.”

“Thanks, Haknyeon,” said Eric, but he didn’t feel the authenticity behind the words. _We’re family._ It was the best way to describe everything they’d gone through together, but it didn’t feel right. Not as right as he felt when he was with Sunwoo.

The universe was trying to tell him something. And now was not the time. Now was the time to focus. 

“Should be around here,” Haknyeon observed. Eric looked up in a panic. He’d rather be thinking about Sunwoo than be here. He’d rather be thinking about Sunwoo than be _anywhere._

Haknyeon sloppily parked the car— Eric wasn’t even sure the boy had a license— and they followed the smell of the sea. 

The block was lit by neon signs and flickering street lights. Foot passage was thin, and they didn’t bump into anyone on their way to the seafood bar. Eric halted outside a shop that smelled strongly of beef. 

“Hey Haknyeon,” he called, succeeding in making the other hunter stop. “They’ve got ramen here. It smells _so good…_ what do you say we stop for a bite to eat?”

Haknyeon’s eyes lit up. Eric had hooked him. But then the excitement died, and Haknyeon shook his head. “Nope. We’ve got a mission to finish. Maybe after if they’re still open, though.”

After. 

After they’d killed someone. Nothing made ramen more appetizing than a fresh corpse. 

“Right. Okay.”

The smell of the sea mingled with the smell of lobster as they stopped by a short set of stairs. A deep red railing ran around the front of the building. Eric gripped it to steady himself as he leaned forward to peer through the windows. “It’s dark. I don’t think anyone’s home,” he attempted. 

“One way to find out.” Haknyeon kicked the door down.

“You could’ve just knocked.”

They surveyed the place from the inside. Lights were on at the bar along the right side, and the space before them had been cleared of all tables. Someone was in the middle of sweeping.

“Hey.” A voice made them turn. “Who are you?”

A short man wearing an apron and holding a broom was standing by the bar, glaring at them. The hostile energy radiating from his narrow eyes was enough to make Eric want to turn around and go now. 

Haknyeon shot him a look, and Eric nodded. This was the same guy he’d seen on Felix’s phone. But they seemed like such an odd pair. Felix was so bright and happy and full of life— _The knife sinking in, blood oozing out, eyes losing their fight—_ while this guy was all dark and intimidating.

“You Seo Changbin?” Haknyeon asked, approaching slowly.

“Humans aren’t welcome here,” the faerie said in response. 

“We’re hunters. You aren’t exactly able to boss us around,” Haknyeon said with a laugh. 

The seaside faerie tipped his head. “Why not?” He tossed the broom to the side and shrugged off the apron. “You think I’ll bow down to you just because you act like some sort of interspecies police?”

“Where’s Felix’s heart?” Eric interjected before Haknyeon could get torn to pieces.

Changbin slid a disinterested gaze over him. “Who?”

The disdain was so convincing Eric almost believed him for a second. “Your mate. We have him. Now give us his heart before he suffers any more.” The words were coming out of him before he could help it. He hated acting intimidating.

Changbin approached them now, his sharp teeth peeking out from beneath his top lip. “If you’ve laid a hand on Felix, I swear I’ll—”

“We’ve already taken care of his first heart,” Haknyeon told him calmly. “We just need the second.” 

Changbin snarled and lunged for him. Haknyeon was slammed to the ground, Changbin’s hands pinning his arms while his teeth snapped for bare throat. “Watch the teeth!” Eric warned. “Seaside fae have a double layer like sharks.” Haknyeon apparently didn’t need the warning, as he found out a second later while howling in pain. One of his arms had a double set of teeth marks embedded in it. 

Changbin’s head whipped towards Eric. “Go find the heart! I’ll deal with him!” Haknyeon shouted. Eric felt a bubble of gratitude for Haknyeon and his affection that always knew Eric’s limits. He turned and bolted into the backroom. A nearly hidden staircase led to the apartment upstairs.

It was cramped and dark, and Eric stumbled around. He couldn’t tell whether the crashing he was hearing was coming from him breaking things, or from Haknyeon and Changbin fighting it out downstairs. 

Faeries kept their mate’s hearts somewhere special to them, but somewhere that wasn’t obvious. Changbin owned a seafood bar. He had a close connection to the sea. He’d stayed late to clean. And to his business, then. 

He had to find something like…. The deed to the building. Eric found a small office room down the narrow hallway and ducked into it. Tearing open the desk drawers let him find a small locked box. He dropped it and smashed the lock open with his boot. 

The lid popped open, and Eric pulled out a scroll of paper. Beneath it was a beating organ. Eric swallowed. He’d researched detached faerie hearts. He knew the color betrayed its treatment. When they stole a heart, it typically turned dark purple. But this was a heart kept lovingly by its mate. It was a lucious pink, its beats undisturbed by anything around it. Eric picked it up gingerly. It immediately flushed a dark red. 

He was holding Felix’s life in his hands. Felix, who laughed with his whole body. Who blushed when he was embarrassed and covered his freckles when he was shy. Who lived and loved young. 

Eric gripped the heart and went downstairs to find Haknyeon.

The hunter and the faerie were still grappling on the ground. Haknyeon had two iron blades in his hands, and Changbin had a deep gash running down his shoulder. “I’ve got it,” Eric announced loudly, which was a mistake. Changbin’s eyes fixed on him, and Haknyeon foresaw his movement just in time. 

The older hunter threw himself in Changbin’s path, and they rolled over and over again. 

“Can’t I just stab him already?” Haknyeon grunted. 

Eric shifted his feet. Changbin had already grown furious upon seeing his mate’s stolen heart. Stabbing him before they knew his second heart was destroyed might only make him angrier.

“Wait until I get Hyunjae’s text.” 

Haknyeon panted. “Might not have that long, kid.” Despite his words, he managed to flip Changbin over and pin the faerie to the floor. He hadn’t lost strength, Eric realized. Just the will to fight. His impending death was obvious.

“I get me,” Changbin rasped, so quiet Eric had to move closer. “But why Felix? What did he do?”

Eric’s eyes flicked to Haknyeon in alarm. How would he answer? Haknyeon, apparently, elected to give no comment. “Hyunjae texted yet?” He called, wiping sweat from his forehead. 

Eric glanced down at his phone just to see it light up. _Closing in on the mate’s heart. If you’ve found his second one, get rid of him now._

Eric looked up uncertainly. “He says to get rid of this one.” He gestured to Felix’s heart. Haknyeon sighed. 

“Give it here.”

Changbin lurched up from the floor with a roar, flailing desperately, but Haknyeon stepped out of reach. Changbin seemed unable to follow him.

With a jolt, Eric realized Haknyeon had speared a knife _through_ Changbin’s leg and pinned him to the floor. Eric swallowed thickly. 

Haknyeon whipped out another knife and tore it through Felix’s beating heart. Eric watched in morbid fascination as the heart shriveled before his eyes. Changbin howled in rage and grief, collapsing and wracked with sobs. Eric sank to the floor. They’d killed someone. They’d killed Felix. Someone who had a name and a face to Eric. Someone he knew. Someone who wouldn’t be in class tomorrow.

He ran over to the bar and vomited into the sink.

Haknyeon rubbed his back softly and picked up his phone. “They got his heart.”

Eric hadn’t been able to notice a difference in Changbin’s appearance. He already seemed so burned out and defeated. Haknyeon walked over to him and was met with no resistance. 

“He’s not fighting back now,” Eric observed.

“Because now, he wants to die.” Haknyeon locked eyes with Changbin. The seaside faerie swallowed, his eyes a battle of sorrow and acceptance. Haknyeon knelt and plunged the knife into his heart. 

Changbin probably died the way Felix did. Choking back a scream and lifting his chin in pride. Defiant to the last breath. It was the worst thing Eric had ever seen.

And he never wanted to see it again. 

Haknyeon ripped his knives out of Changbin’s body. The blades made a sickening squelch, Changbin’s body only jostling slightly. 

“Let’s go meet the others. We’ve gotta get rid of them.” Now, Haknyeon’s cold tone was gone. He stared down at Changbin’s body with eyes full of grief. He reached over to squeeze Eric’s hands. “It’s not the worst thing you’ll see on the job, Eric.”

On the job. A job he no longer believed in, he realized. And Eric realized with terrifying, electrifying certainty that this was not something he _ever_ wanted to do again. 

“We’re gonna meet up with the others at the hotel,” Haknyeon prompted. “Let’s go.” He tossed Changbin’s body over his shoulder with frightening strength. Eric averted his eyes. 

There was absolutely no temptation in passing the ramen shop again. The scent of soup and noodles made his stomach turn and threaten to throw up again. 

Haknyeon deposited Changbin’s body in the back of the van and stepped on the gas. Eric fidgeted with his phone. He needed to talk to someone. A moment ago he’d felt full to the brim, ready to burst. Now, it was like someone had pricked a hole in him and he was just a deflated husk. 

It didn’t feel right. None of that had felt right. In fact, nothing had ever felt more _wrong._ It just felt like one big lie. Like he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t.

He wished he hadn’t realized that. Eric wanted to be a hunter, _so, so_ bad. If he wasn’t a hunter, who would he be? 

His brain immediately thought, _what would Sunwoo do?_

Sunwoo would say fuck off to anything he didn’t want to be. If he didn’t like the path he was on, he’d forge a new one. That was what made Eric so drawn to his fiery eyes. 

“Eric,” Haknyeon said gently. Eric dragged his eyes back to the road. “That was some really scary stuff, Eric. I hope you know you’re on the right path.”

Eric paused. “What?”

“Well… this might seem out of nowhere. It’s just the vibes I’ve been getting from you. But sometimes, the road you’re on isn’t meant for you. And it’s ok to take a different one.” Haknyeon swung the car off the road and parked behind their hotel. 

Eric slid out of the car slowly, scared his legs would give out beneath him. Younghoon and Hyunjae met them behind the van. Hyunjae dumped Felix’s body on top of Changbin’s. Eric shrieked and jumped back. Hyunjae grabbed his shoulders.

Felix’s eyes were still open. Instead of sparkling bright, they were glassy and dull. His hair was limp and damp. Blood soaked his shirt and drenched his arms and hands. Eric bit his tongue until he could taste that same blood. 

Felix’s blood, rushing through his mouth and dripping down his hair and into his eyes and through his nose and suffocating him until he was coughing it all over the pavement. Hyunjae stroked his hair back as he vomited behind the van, tears mixing with the vomit in a pile of desperation and despair. He was lost. 

“Eric. Honey. Kiddo.” Hyunjae faltered uncertainly between nicknames. “Are you alright? I’m sure that was a lot…. Let me take you home.” 

Felix’s limp hand flopping over as his body was moved, unable to control his limbs or breathe or blink—

“Eric?”

Or smile or laugh or hug or kiss or—

“He’s hyperventilating, Hyunjae, take a step back.” Younghoon’s voice pushed at the fog that blanketed his mind, unable to penetrate.

Unable to control his lungs which moved of their own accord. Seized up, air pushing and pulling at a frantic rate and Eric just wanted it to _stop,_ to _slow down._

“Eric.” Instead of Younghoon’s voice, he pretended it was Sunwoo’s. Sunwoo’s deep eyes that searched inside his soul, Sunwoo’s full lips that pursed in exasperation and smiled so bright. Sunwoo’s delicate nose and fiery hair and Sunwoo Sunwoo Sunwoo—

Eric wanted to know what his arms felt like. What he smelled like when Eric’s face was buried in the crook between his neck and his shoulder. If he really would fit so perfectly in the faerie’s embrace like he imagined.

Hyunjae’s hand was still on his hair, except now he was crouched down next to Eric. The van was gone, and so were Haknyeon and Younghoon. 

“Seaside faeries are traditionally buried by beaches.” Eric pulled facts from his memory. Reciting from his books always brought him comfort. “They should be covered with a white silk drape and then topped with seashells found that same day from the same beach they’re buried in.”

“I’ll let them know.” Hyunjae pulled out his phone and texted Younghoon. “We’ll make sure they’re given proper burials, alright?”

“Then why?” Eric whispered. “If you’re going to give them that respect, then why kill them in the first place?”

“We are all equal in death, Eric.”

Eric shuddered. What would his parents say if they knew what he’d done tonight? Would they be scared? Proud? He thought of Felix and Changbin’s parents. Were they alive? Were they in the city? Could he find them?

.…and then what? What would he do? Confess? Apologize? 

What could he do to make it right?

What could he do to face Sunwoo again?

Eric mulled those questions over as Hyunjae walked him home. The older hunter said nothing as they reached his doorstep, just offered a hug and walked off. Upstairs, Eric checked to make sure his parents were asleep before creeping into his room. 

Just as he was pondering what to do, his phone lit up.

_Kim Sunwoo: meet me on the roof of ur school. this friday 11pm. come alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok before yall come for me... stray kids are my ults ok this hurt me too  
> i hope you can understand everyone's motivation and why this had to happen for eric to make a realization about his future!  
> if you made it through this in one piece, i promise it'll all get better now! :-D  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	15. 15. Blazing Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunwoo tries to find answers, but he's struggling to keep secrets of his own....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey its funny how in chapter nine nobody noticed how sunwoo never told juyeon his name but then he used it... step up ur clue catching game yall

15\. Blazing Bright

He should have pushed the meeting time back. Another week, another night, even. Nothing could settles the nerves in his stomach and prepare him to see Eric again.

Only the thought that this would help Jacob and Kevin kept him from backing out. Seeing Kevin grow more and more anxious everyday, seeing his clan feel unsafe in their own home, was more urgent than whatever he had going on with Eric. 

Sunwoo scaled the side of the building with ease, feet finding purchase on narrow windowsills and propelling him ten feet up at a time. 

He hoped Eric wouldn’t be there yet and he’d have a moment to collect himself, to remember what he needed to say. He didn’t get that lucky.

Eric didn’t notice him at first. The shorter boy was standing at the other end of the roof near the stairwell door. He was wearing a silk button down tucked into dark jeans. Sunwoo felt uncomfortably warm with the fact that Eric had tried to dress up for this. He didn’t feel happy. Just embarrassed for him. 

Eric turned and spotted him, sporting the cutest— um, the brightest— grin Sunwoo had seen from someone in weeks. He could barely remember what it was like to have someone smile when they saw you. 

“Sunwoo!” Eric ran towards him like a puppy to its owner. He stopped short when he saw Sunwoo approaching slowly. He shot the faerie a nervous smile and bounced on his feet, trying to give Sunwoo space.

Sunwoo had no thoughts in his head, just a knowledge of what he had to accomplish here before he walked away. Eric backed up slightly as Sunwoo sped up, showing no sign of stopping. 

Sunwoo grabbed Eric by the throat and slammed him up against the door behind him. Eric yelped, eyes wide with surprise and pain. He wiggled and kicked fruitlessly against Sunwoo’s grip. 

“Who took it?” Sunwoo demanded, squeezing harder. Eric coughed weakly.

“Took what?” Eric squeaked.

“Kevin’s heart. You must know who took it. Don’t hunters have some sort of communication network? Where is it?”

“That actually is a thing, yes, but Hyunjae doesn’t let us use it—” Sunwoo tightened his grip, cutting Eric off.

“That isn’t the question I want answers to.”

“Sunny, you’re hurting me.” Eric flashed his puppy dog eyes helplessly. Sunwoo steeled himself against the attack. He loosened his grip just slightly. 

The moment his neck was free, Eric locked Sunwoo’s arms around his own and twisted them, breaking his grip. He pulled Sunwoo towards him and sent the faerie sprawling forwards while he jumped farther away, reversing their positions.

“You really forgot who you’re dealing with.” Eric puffed his chest out proudly, but his eyes looked guilty.

Sunwoo stood up and brushed himself off. “Right. Hunter.” He glared at Eric. “Because you’re trained in how to kill faeries, aren’t you?”

Eric’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. It was instinct. I’m trying not to do that stuff anymore.”

Sunwoo wanted to ask more, wanted to beg for details and jump at the chance of Eric leaving his life as a hunter behind. But wasn’t important right now. And there was no use getting his hopes up. 

“Hyunjae didn’t know what to do with the heart, so—”

“ _You_ were the ones who took it?” Sunwoo’s mind flicked back to that night at the club. What was it Hyunjae had said when the hunters left? _We got what we came for?_ “So you went to our home after starting a fight with us to trash the place and steal Kevin’s heart?”

“We didn’t want the heart, we just found it. Haknyeon took Jacob’s guitar for some reason….”

“But why would you even— hold on.” Sunwoo paused. “How do you know Jacob?”

“Well, Kevin mentioned him when we first met. That’s how we figured out it was his heart.”

“You’re the one who gave them his name?” Sunwoo’s fingers itched to slam Eric into the door again. “You’re the reason Kevin’s been so miserable and Jacob’s going crazy! If you hadn’t told them, we wouldn’t have targets on our backs right now—”

“I know, I know, but trust me—”

“No, I don’t think I will. I still have questions. Why were you at our apartment in the first place? Where is the heart now?”

“Hyunjae’s been tracking a woodland fae clan ever since we arrived in the city. It’s the reason we’re here. You’re the only ones here, so once he caught your scent at the club, he was able to follow it to your house.”

“Our scent…?” Sunwoo’s mind was whirling.

“Yeah. It’s something really experienced hunters can pick up, apparently.”

There was no way he _knew._ How would someone like Hyunjae know about Sunwoo? Woodland fae were rare. It had to be because of that. 

“Hyunjae gave the heart to a bounty hunter named Hwall. He’s keeping it for us until….”

“Until what?” Sunwoo snapped. “Until you find and kill Kevin? What’s stopping you?”

“I don’t know!” Eric said, panicked. “Hyunjae hasn’t said anything about going after him. After we got— um, I mean— well, you probably heard about—”

“I know what you did to Felix and Changbin,” Sunwoo said dryly. 

Eric’s shoulders slumped. “You do?” He rushed on quickly. “Well, after that, he’s just been locked in his hotel room and hasn’t really talked to us much. I don’t know how long Hwall’s gonna keep the heart for. Hyunjae wanted to talk to him without us around.”

Sunwoo nodded. “Where can I find him?”

“I-I don’t know, but Sunwoo, please, let me explain. About Felix—” 

“Don’t wanna hear it.” Sunwoo turned away. “I’m sick of your excuses.”

Eric punched him in the back. Hard.

“Ow!” Sunwoo turned and glared. “What the hell?”

“Would you just listen to me for a moment?” Eric’s eyes were blazing bright in a way Sunwoo had never seen before. It was like a fire had lit them from the inside, filling them with passion and determination. It made him look beautiful in a way Sunwoo had never noticed before. _Now is so not the time to think something like that._ “Watching Felix and Changbin be murdered for absolutely no reason was the worst thing I could imagine happening to a person. They did nothing wrong. Felix was my _friend,_ even. I liked him. And I sat by and let him be killed, I helped, even. That _changed_ something in me, Sunwoo. Please believe me. I couldn’t stop thinking about you and what you said to me. There are no good hunters, and I can’t be different and good as long as I’m one of them. But I’m not going to be one of them anymore.”

Sunwoo’s hearts pounded in his ears. “What?” He whispered.

“Ever since you texted me, I’ve been trying to find all the faeries who are current targets of hunters. I’ve been helping them to evade the hunters and stay safe. I’ve been leading my own crew in circles for days because they know I know my way around fae town. I even reached out to the families of the faeries I helped kill to warn them of how dangerous it is. Because I— because I want to be the kind of person who can know you.”

“You….” Sunwoo was lost for words. Never had someone tried to change themselves and their ways for his own sake. “You did that for me?”

“Not _for_ you. _Because_ of you.” Eric shifted awkwardly. “Because you helped me realize I was on the wrong path.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t know where Hwall is, but there’s someone who might,” Eric told him. “His name is Juyeon.”

“I know him,” Sunwoo heard himself say distantly. His thoughts were still full of Eric, and how pretty his hair looked under the moon and how soft his shirt looked, how much softer the skin beneath it must be. “Eric,” he said without realizing it.

“What?”

“Uh—” Sunwoo froze. His face felt flushed. He didn’t recognize any of the feelings coursing through him. He just felt weird. He needed to get out of there. “Thank you. I’ll… see you around.”

Eric’s eyes widened in hope. Before Sunwoo could change his mind, he turned and leapt over the side of the building. 

He met up with Jaocb back by the street. “I know where we have to go,” he told the older faerie. Jacob’s face melted with joy.

“Really? You know where my Kevin’s heart is?”

For once, Sunwoo didn’t cringe at Jacob saying “my Kevin.” He was in a weirdly sentimental, even romantic, mood tonight. 

Sunwoo led the way to the outskirts of fae town, where Juyeon’s shop loomed above them, just like when he’d emerged from the faerie market. It was dark inside, but Sunwoo pushed the door open easily.

“Hello, Sunwoo,” Juyeon greeted them. Sunwoo smiled. Jacob blinked. 

“You know each other?”

“Yeah, when I came up from the faerie market.” Sunwoo swallowed when he remembered what Juyeon had said. The words that made him want to tell Eric the truth. _You know Sunwoo, you’ll meet some really wonderful people in this city. No matter of their race._

Wait. Juyeon had called Sunwoo by his name during that first encounter they had. But….

“I don’t remember ever telling you my name,” Sunwoo said cautiously. Juyeon smirked.

“You didn’t have to. I know who you are.” Sunwoo looked to Jacob in alarm. “Cobie and I go way back. We’ve known each other for a couple decades now, haven’t we?” Juyeon was tossing something in one hand. It was too dark for Sunwoo to see what it was.

“I wouldn’t consider that _way back,”_ Jacob teased. Juyeon rolled his eyes.

“Well, we’re not all 300+ years old, are we?” He came forward enough for Sunwoo to see what he was tossing. He swallowed.

“We’re looking for Hwall,” Sunwoo interrupted, trying to focus on Juyeon’s face and not the object in his hand.

Juyeon’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I know Hwall. Good kid. Why are you looking for him?”

“He has something important to me.” Jacob folded his arms. “I need to find him. As soon as possible.”

“I know his usual haunts,” Juyeon said cautiously. “But you can’t hurt him, alright? He’s never done anything to anyone. What are you looking for him for, anyway?”

Sunwoo and Jacob exchanged a glance. _You know this guy better, it’s your call,_ Sunwoo tried to make his eyes say. Jacob squared his shoulders. “Hunters took my mate’s heart. Hwall has it.”

Juyeon scowled. “I don’t know how Hwall got mixed up in that. But don’t start a fight with him.”

“No promises,” Sunwoo snarked. Juyeon raised his eyebrows, and Sunwoo realized that Juyeon wasn’t going to help them until he agreed. “Alright, fine. We’ll be nice. Where can we find him?”

“Club not too far from here. Just a couple blocks down. Bright lights. Can’t miss it.” Juyeon turned away from them.

“Great. Just one more thing.” Sunwoo gestured to what he’d been tossing up and down in front of them the whole time. “Whose heart is that?”

Juyeon glanced down at the heart in his hand and then back up at them. He grinned. “Well, mine, of course.” 

The club was closed when they arrived outside. The neon signs were lit, but the doors were chained shut and the lights inside were off. Luckily, there was someone loitering outside.

Sunwoo strode forward, not caring that his horns were visible. “Hey,” he called. The person looked up. It was a boy, human, probably the same age Sunwoo was in human years. “We’re looking for Hwall. You seen him around?”

The boy was tall and slender, with pale skin, slanted green eyes, and silky black hair. The second the words left Sunwoo’s mouth, the kid bolted. “Hey!” Jacob and Sunwoo took off after him. The boy, presumably Hwall himself, flung open a gate and flew up a set of crumbling stairs. Sunwoo and Jacob careened after him.

They ended up on the roof. Sunwoo grabbed Hwall by his checkered jacket. “Where’s the heart?”

Hwall froze like a deer in headlights, although he looked more like a startled cat. “I don’t have it! I swear!”

“Bullshit,” Sunwoo snapped. “We know you do.”

“Listen, listen, listen! They came to the club and told me to keep it for them, right? But then that Hyunjae guy made all the other guys leave and talked to me privately. He said he was going to keep the heart himself, but that I should pretend like I had it.”

“You’re not doing a very good job of that,” Jacob remarked.

“Why would he pretend to give it to someone else?” Sunwoo demanded.

“Hell if I know, man! It was a favor for a friend!”

“What friend?” Sunwoo hissed.

“Eric Sohn! He’s my buddy from middle school.” 

“Who?” Jacob asked.

“Not important,” Sunwoo interrupted. Hwall gave him a startled look. 

So Eric was friends with this bounty hunter? “Hyunjae didn’t tell you what he was planning?” Sunwoo pressed. Hwall shook his head, hair flopping across his face.

“No idea, man. He said it would help him find someone he was looking for, or whatever.” Sunwoo and Jacob exchanged a look. Sunwoo shook Hwall harder. 

“Someone from our clan?”

“I said I don’t know, man!”

Sunwoo sighed and released the bounty hunter. “Listen, you can go after the hunters, but don’t hurt Eric,” Hwall told them.

“No one will lay a finger on him,” Sunwoo promised, before remembering Jacob was there. He hoped the older faerie wouldn’t ask questions. “Those hunters are tracking us, so it makes sense there’s someone they’re after. We’re not safe here anymore.” 

Jacob nodded. “We’ll get Kevin’s heart back before they can do anything.” He raised his eyes to meet Sunwoo with a piercing gaze. “We’ll just have to find them before they find us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what could hyunjae be planning? what is sunwoo hiding?? what's up with juyeon???  
> dont ask those questions i wont answer them for u :-D  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	16. 16. Red Thread of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juyeon has answers, but he's not exactly willing to give them away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this whole chapter is just that scene from harry potter and the sorcerer's stone where hagrid keeps going "i shouldnta said that"

16\. Red Thread of Fate

When he’d gotten the text from Sunwoo, he assumed they were meeting up to make amends. He’d hoped that Sunwoo had found a way to forgive him, or was at least willing to give him another chance. Eric had not expected to see him striding forward, looking so angry yet so beautiful at the same time, only to be slammed up against the wall and nearly choked to death. And not in a sexy way.

Eric was wandering through downtown, head caught up in too many thoughts. Too distracted to pay attention to where his feet were carrying him. Seeing Sunwoo again had affected him way more than he’d thought it would. Did the faerie boy feel the same way? Was he caught up in thoughts of how _right_ it had felt to see each other again, how at peace he felt despite being threatened? How Sunwoo made him feel safe even though he was trying to be intimidating?

It was cute, how Sunwoo thought he could scare Eric. He’d been a hunter long enough to tell the difference between a real threat and an empty one. And Sunwoo hadn’t meant any of the threatening words that left his lips that night.

Eric couldn’t help but smile. He’d managed to have _some_ effect on Sunwoo, at least. He’d left Eric’s number unblocked. So Eric had taken that opportunity to text him with updates on everything he did. Mostly his reparations with the fae, but now, he’d taken it upon himself to try and wedge a gap between Hyunjae and the other hunters. If he could get Haknyeon and Younghoon to understand his point of view, it might be easier to stop Hyunjae from his apparent bloodlust.

Eric’s feet stopped walking of their own accord. He looked up to see himself standing outside Juyeon’s shop. Funny how they’d led him to the one place he might get some answers. Juyeon, it seemed, knew just about everybody.

The shop was empty as always. Ever since their first day in the city, Eric hadn’t seen anyone going in or out of the shop. Sunwoo said he knew Juyeon, though. If Juyeon knew both humans and fae, was he a friend or a foe?

Eric pushed the door open to the cheerful jingle of a bell. “Hey, Eric!” Juyeon greeted him with a friendly grin. Eric pushed a smile onto his face in return. “You need something?” Juyeon made his way to Eric from the back of the shop. “Or… you come here for answers?”

Eric looked up in surprise at Juyeon’s knowing smile. “What do you know?”

“A lot, actually. But I don’t think you’re ready for everything I know.”

Eric groaned in exasperation. “Everyone’s keeping secrets from me! There’s so much I don’t know about Sunwoo. And Hyunjae, why is he even a hunter in the first place? How do you know him? Why are you helping humans and fae? Why are you like this?”

The last question, he realized, was a bit offensive. No one ever really talked about the fact that Juyeon had left his fae life behind. But Juyeon just smiled at him kindly. “Sunwoo’s secrets aren’t mine to tell,” Juyeon said, sounding almost regretful. “And Hyunjae’s carrying a lot of burdens with him. He… wasn’t always like this, I promise. He was different when I first met him. But you should hear that story from him.”

Eric perked up. “How did you meet him, anyway?”

Juyeon just shook his head. “Like I said, you should hear it from him. He didn’t always hate faeries.” Juyeon froze. “Ugh, I’m already saying too much.”

“I already knew that,” Eric assured him, although he hadn’t. “But you’ve gotta know more about Hyunjae when he was younger. How long ago did you meet him?”

“It was about—” Juyeon snapped his mouth shut. “Nope. Can’t tell you that. It’s a spoiler.”

“A _spoiler?”_ Eric sighed in exasperation. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you came to the right place for someone who has answers, but not for someone who’ll give them to you. You’re avoiding your problems instead of confronting them.” Juyeon leaned his elbows against the counter and regarded Eric in amusement. “Why don’t you come into the back and sit down?”

Eric blinked at the sudden hospitality. “Sure.” 

“Hyunjae cares a lot about you,” Juyeon told him as he was lead into the backroom. Shelves with extra stocks lined the walls. In the center of the room, in front of a brick fireplace, a stack of throw rugs sported a group of bean bag chairs settled in a comfortable circle. Eric nestled into one across from Juyeon. “He spoke to me about you a lot when he first met you. About how desperately you wanted to be a hunter, but no one took you seriously. He wanted to take you in because he saw how passionate and driven you were. But I think he got the sense that you weren’t really into the hunting part of being a hunter.”

Eric blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Jae— Hyunjae saw himself in you, I guess. Like, pre-hunter himself. He could tell you weren’t willing to partake in violence. And he….” Juyeon scratched his head. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this much.”

“Hey, this is about me! I have the right to know.”

“Yeah, I guess. Well, he told me he was hoping you’d turn out better than him. That being a hunter would let you see firsthand how messed up the world was, and you’d be able to fix not just it, but him.”

“Fix him?” Eric echoed. “What does that mean?”

Juyeon squirmed. “Um. Well, Hyunjae’s got a pretty tragic backstory, if you know what I mean. He’s seen a lot of shit. I think maybe he thought… taking you in would redeem himself.”

“That was about three years ago,” Eric mused. “So you two were friends for longer than that, then. How long?”

Juyeon shook his head. “My lips are sealed about that.”

Eric narrowed his eyes. “Just how old are you, anyway?”

Juyeon grinned. “Well, I’m mortal now. But I’m pretty young. I’ve lived about… 153 years.”

Eric’s jaw dropped. “Wow. You’re old.” 

“Oh, please. You know Sunwoo just had his 100th birthday a month or so ago, right?”

Eric’s jaw fell a few more feet. “Sunwoo’s a _hundred years old?”_

“That’s, like, teenage years for a faerie. We— or, they, I guess— usually live around 700 to 800 years. So ten times the length of an average human’s life.” 

“Wow.” Eric couldn’t even fathom the fact that he would live and die in 1/7th of Sunwoo’s life span. He would grow old and wither away while Sunwoo looked the same. He fidgeted uncomfortably. 

“Yeah, why do you think relationships between humans and fae are illegal?” Juyeon smiled sadly.

“What?” Eric’s head shot up. “No they’re not.”

“They are for fae.”

Eric’s heart pounded. “For— for real?”

“So are relationships with half-fae, because they’re viewed as flaws in our existence. Humans and faeries shouldn’t breed, so if a half-fae is born, then… they’re an outcast with fae and an abomination with humans.”

Eric shuddered. He couldn’t imagine such a painful existence, not knowing where you could ever belong. “I thought faeries were supposed to be more progressive than humans when it came to rights and stuff like that.”

Juyeon nodded. “They usually are. Like, homophobia has practically never been an issue. But it was only two hundred years ago that tran—” He cut himself off again.

“That what?” Eric scooted forward eagerly. 

“Again, shouldn’t tell you. Sorry, but it’s not my backstory to tell.” Juyeon grinned apologetically. Eric groaned and flopped backwards onto his beanbag.

“What the hell am I supposed to do, then?” He mumbled.

“Hmm?” Juyeon leaned forward, brow scrunched.

Well, if he couldn’t talk to Hyunjae or his parents about this, maybe he _did_ have someone….

“Why do I feel like I’m so drawn to Sunwoo, then? Why do I feel like we’re destined to be together?” Eric stared up at the spinning ceiling fan above him like it held all his answers. But the person with answers was right in front of him, and he was tightlipped and stubborn.

“Sometimes a faerie’s mate _is_ a human. But they usually end up having to take on a different faerie as a mate and live their life out with them.”

“What?” Eric sat up. “You mean it’s possible for a human and a faerie to be mates?”

Juyeon winced. “Eric, you can’t be Sunwoo’s mate.”

“But—”

“You just can’t, okay? You don’t want to be.”

Eric shrank back. “I do want to, though.”

“It wouldn’t end well for either of you. And given his—” Juyeon grimaced. 

“His what?”

“Nothing. I can’t tell you.”

“Of course you can’t.” Eric drummed his fingers on his leg. “But how would a faerie take on a different mate?”

“Well, if the family wants to cover up that their kid’s mate is a human, they might pay a less well-off family to mate off their own kid.”

“Arranged marriage, but… for hundreds of years.” 

“Yeah. It’s not pleasant.”

“What about you? Do you have a mate?” Eric asked curiously. He hadn’t gotten close enough to Juyeon to figure out if he had one heart or two beating inside him.

Juyeon scowled. “No.” He stood and walked back to the front of the shop. Curiously, Eric scrambled to follow him.

Juyeon bent down beneath the counter and pulled out a fancy looking box. A complicated gold lock held it closed, but the touch of Juyeon’s fingers had it springing open. Juyeon reached in and pulled out a healthy pink heart, beating cheerfully between his fingers. Just like how Felix’s had looked when he’d pulled it out in Changbin’s office. 

“This is my heart.” 

Eric’s eyes widened. “It’s _yours?_ But— how—”

“I took it out, many years ago. But I was too late. The one I thought was my mate had already mated with another.” Juyeon stared down at his heart in his hands. 

“And you can’t… put it back in?” Eric suggested.

Juyeon smiled softly. “It doesn’t work that way. My body now functions solely off of one heart. So now I just keep my second heart with me here, waiting for the day I can give it away.” 

“That’s really sad,” Eric said quietly. “I’m really sorry, Juyeon.” 

“That’s alright, Eric. It happened before you were born. Nothing you can do.” 

Before he was born…. His heart seized. What if Sunwoo already had a mate? What if he’d met someone else, before Eric was even born? What would he do then?

“What are you worrying about?” Juyeon asked as he put his heart away.

Eric voiced his concerns. Juyeon tipped his head contemplatively. “Possible, but unlikely. It’s also illegal for faeries to mate with those outside of their own race. A woodland faerie can only mate with a woodland faerie.”

“What? That’s kinda stupid, isn’t it?”

“Totally,” Juyeon agreed. “But laws are laws. And I’m pretty fond of you, Eric, so I’ll tell you this.” Juyeon’s eyes sparkled as he leaned in. “Sunwoo’s red thread of fate isn’t tied with anyone else’s yet. It’s waiting for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg so many things that need answering... what are you most curious about?  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	17. 17. Through the Trees and Into the Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, violent confrontation and gay awakenings. truly the greatest pair

17\. Through the Trees and Into the Sky

Should he text him, or not?

If he texted Eric, Sunwoo mused, it was his best chance of getting the hunters’ exact location. But would Eric be willing to give up their location if he knew the faeries were coming for revenge?

He hadn’t been lying to Hwall when he said no one would lay a finger on Eric. Sunwoo would see to it that he was kept safe all on his own if he had to. But there was still so much that didn’t make sense.

Why did Eric think Hwall had Kevin’s heart if he didn’t? Why _didn’t_ Hwall have the heart? What did Hyunjae want with their clan? Who was he after? And what the hell did Juyeon have to do with all this? 

It was all making Sunwoo’s head hurt. All he wanted was for them to be able to find Kevin’s heart so things could go back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be. He’d been relatively calm ever since he’d heard about the Felix and Changbin situation. Even if Eric hadn’t killed them himself, he’d still been a part of it. So why wasn’t Sunwoo more pissed at him?

He could have been. He should have been. But the words Eric had said to him were still swirling around his brain, and he couldn’t help but think of everything Eric had been texting him. Updates on everything he’d been doing, letting Sunwoo know that he _was_ different, that he _was_ good. And Sunwoo couldn’t lie. He’d noticed how the rates of hunter violence had dipped drastically due to Eric’s actions in the past week. 

Sunwoo jolted up as he felt a hand on his head. “Hey, kiddo.” Sunwoo craned his neck backwards to see Sangyeon smiling paternally down at him. “I’m sure you’ve noticed it’s not really safe for us here anymore,” Sangyeon continued. “So we’re gonna take a little trip back to our old home in the forest, alright?”

Sunwoo froze. “We’re what?”

“Yeah. Is that alright with you? I figured we’d be safer from the hunters there.”

Sangyeon wanted to run. Instead of finding the hunters and taking the fight to them, he wanted to flee. “Sure,” Sunwoo said, grinning up at him. The hunters would find them either way. Hyunjae would track them to the ends of the earth. So they’d have to be prepared.

And in the forest, they would be. No one knew woods and trees better than Sunwoo. They’d meet the hunters on their own home turf. 

They set out, Sunwoo trailing behind the rest of the clan as they trekked into the woods. It was better if he didn’t tell Eric where they were headed. As much as it hurt, he couldn’t take the chance of him telling the other hunters. _Was it that, or did he just feel bad leaving him behind when they’d just fixed things?_

The black squirrel who’d moved into their apartment with him leapt from his shoulder and darted off into the woods the moment they set foot beneath the trees. “Cool, bye,” Sunwoo muttered. To be honest, he’d forgotten about his squirrel friend with everything going on. 

Their home was exactly as they’d left it. The network of earthy tunnels underground, packed dirt windows and secret entrances hidden by arching fronds of dripping leaves. Sunwoo took a deep breath of fresh forest air for the first time in a month. At last. Home.

Jacob and Kevin disappeared almost immediately, and because Sunwoo valued his eyes, he decided not to follow. He hung back with Changmin, who seemed hesitant not to enter.

“Doesn’t this seem weird?” Changmin asked him uncertainly. 

“Course it’s weird.”

“Well, yeah, but… I feel like we’re not safer here than in the city.”

“Because we’re not.” Sunwoo stared down into the entrance that passed for their front door. “Sangyeon just wants to feel like he’s making a smart decision. There’s nowhere really safe for us. At least here, we’re in our element.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s right.” Changmin squinted against the spring sun that snuck its way between branches to kiss their faces. “Hey, do you think—”

It took Sunwoo a moment to turn to Changmin after he cut himself off. Changmin was weird, he’d assumed he’d spotted a snail or something and had gone to befriend it. He wasn’t expecting to see Changmin sprawled out beside him, a nightshade dart buried in his neck. “Shit,” Sunwoo hissed. How had the hunters found them so quickly?

He dragged Changmin inside with him. “Sangyeon!” He hollered. “Sangyeon, they’re here!” Chanhee rushed to meet them, and shoving a few herbs down Changmin’s throat had him with them once more. 

Someone sprinted past Sunwoo up to the surface, but he was too busy trying to get a signal to see if Eric had texted him. He could hear faint voices from above. The hunters were here.

“Sunwoo, stay down here,” Sangyeon told him. Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “You know why.”

“Yes, I know why, but I don’t like it.” 

Kevin burst into the living area. “Where’s Jacob?” He cried, glancing around frantically.

Sangyeon pointed up. Through a small window near the surface, Sunwoo could barely glimpse someone shooting arrows from a wooden bow. 

“I’ll go help him.” Kevin made to rush out, but Sangyeon grabbed his arm. 

“Kevin, no. They have your heart. You’re the most vulnerable right now. Stay down here with Sunwoo.”

“My mate is putting his life on the line, I’m not going to be stuck on babysitting duty—”

“Yes you are.” Sangyeon gestured to Chanhee and a groggy Changmin. “Let’s go.” He turned and ran smack into a hunter.

Younghoon, the tall one, with Eric behind him. Sunwoo felt relief rush through him at the sight of the human’s blond head. Eric was safe. Wait, no he wasn’t. 

Sangyeon snarled and lunged for the hunters. Sunwoo turned to see if Kevin would recognize Eric, but he and Chanhee had disappeared. Probably gone out another exit to help Jacob. Hyunjae and Haknyeon were presumably still outside.

Sunwoo made frantic eye contact with Eric across the room. Eric actually managed to smile at Sunwoo for just a second before Changmin lunged at him. And Sunwoo realized just what he’d gotten himself into.

Just like Eric, he now had to choose. 

Eric was not helpless. He had two iron blades in his hands, but he was doing his best to only use them for defense. Changmin, however, wasn’t holding himself back, swiping at Eric’s face with sharpened nails and a handful of darts.

Eric managed to push Changmin off and tried to run for Sunwoo. Not a smart move. Changmin’s eyes tracked his movements at light speed and lunged forward to protect Sunwoo, but Sunwoo moved first. He stepped forward between Changmin and Eric. It took a moment for Changmin to realize that Sunwoo wasn’t protecting him, but rather the hunter he was fighting.

“Sunwoo, what are you doing? Move!” Changmin hissed, but Sunwoo didn’t budge. What the hell did he do now? 

He was distracted from the situation when Sangyeon grabbed him by the collar and shoved him to the ground. “What the—”

The room had suddenly become crowded. The rest of the hunters and clan members had spilled into the open living area. Jacob and Kevin were fighting back to back, although Jacob was clearly trying to take on two hunters at once. Sangyeon stood over Sunwoo as if trying to hide him from view. 

A loud explosion-like sound ricochetted around the room. Sunwoo struggled to get a glimpse of Eric. “What was that?” Chanhee yelped.

“Iron bullet gun!” Someone yelled. 

Sunwoo shot to his feet. There he was— Eric had shrunk himself into a corner, trying to stay out of sight. Sunwoo struggled to make his way over to him. The barrel of a gun beat him there.

“Not so fast, faerie,” Hyunjae said from the other side of the gun. Eric immediately moved into action, thrusting himself between Sunwoo and the hunter. Before Hyunjae could question him, Sangyeon lunged from the side and tackled the lead hunter to the ground. And just then, everything froze.

Jacob and Kevin had managed to render the other two hunters unconscious, and Chanhee and Changmin were off tending their wounds. It was just Sangyeon and Hyunjae.

Sangyeon let out a strangled cry of surprise. Sunwoo turned to look at him. “You— what are you—”

Hyunjae’s face darkened, and he thrust a blade up into Sangyeon’s side. Sangyeon choked and scrambled back. Changmin and Jacob had just reentered the room, and upon seeing that, immediately lunged for Hyunjae. Sunwoo took that as a good cue to make his exit.

He grabbed Eric’s hand and sprinted out of the room, down a narrow hallway to the same reading room he’d spent his last day here in. 

“In here,” Sunwoo panted, and he shoved the human inside. After he’d firmly shut the door, he collapsed against the wall in relief. “Are you okay? Nobody hurt you?”

Eric shook his head. “I’m sorry, I tried to hold them off as long as I could—”

Sunwoo held up a hand. “It’s alright. I know you did.” He hadn’t doubted for a moment that Eric had done his best to protect Sunwoo and his clan. Staring at him now, out of breath and exhausted from the fight, Sunwoo felt like he was seeing Eric in a new light. It was like he could never see the human without being awestruck by him. Without knowing what he was doing, Sunwoo reached out to take Eric’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

It was dark in the room, but Sunwoo could swear Eric’s ears turned pink. Before the human could reply, someone else cleared their throat.

Sunwoo froze. He could swear the room had been empty when they entered it. But maybe he hadn’t counted on the shadows in the back of the room moving towards him.

“Wanna explain yourself, Sunwoo?” Kevin asked, folding his arms as he looked from Sunwoo to Eric and back again. 

“Uh.” Sunwoo tensed like he was ready to run again.

“Don’t even think about running away from me. Sit down and explain your ass.”

Sunwoo sat. So did Eric, slowly and filled with panicked looks at Sunwoo. “It’s okay,” Sunwoo whispered. He squeezed Eric’s hand.

“So I’m guessing he texted you.” Kevin raised a sculpted eyebrow.

“Um. Yeah.” Sunwoo glanced at Eric, the sight of his face filling his lungs with air, before he continued. “We’ve been talking for about a month.”

“And you knew he was a hunter?”

“Not at first, but yeah, I’ve known.”

“And you—” Kevin pinched his nose. “You knew he was the one who took my heart?”

“He’s the reason we’re getting it back,” Sunwoo countered. “Well, kind of. But he’s not a hunter anymore.”

“Sure doesn’t look that way to me.” Eric shrunk back into his chair. Sunwoo leaned forward, placing himself in front of Eric defensively.

“He’s been working against the hunters to help faeries who are being targetted. He’s the reason why there hasn’t been as much hunter violence lately.” 

Kevin took in the way protectiveness blazed in Sunwoo’s eyes. “I see,” he said softly. “So it’s like that.”

“Like what?” Sunwoo asked bluntly.

“Are you two together?”

“What?” Sunwoo sputtered. “Are we—”

“Not yet,” Eric cut in quietly.

“No! Why would you—”

“It’s just…” Kevin smiled at them. “That’s the same way I get when I talk about Jacob. All protective and fiery.” 

“But….” Sunwoo didn’t know what to say to that.

“Look at you. You’re protecting him from me.” Kevin gestured to the way Sunwoo was trying to shield Eric. “Come on, Sunwoo, you know I won’t hurt him.”

“I won’t let anyone touch him,” Sunwoo supplied, which didn’t really help his case.

“Why?”

_Why?_ Well, hell if Sunwoo had the answer to that question. He turned to look at Eric, who was looking at him curiously. Free of judgement, just quiet encouragement to answer however he wanted. Maybe he did have the answer.

“I care about him,” Sunwoo said finally. More than the clan, more than himself, more than the world. The realization sent a chill down his spine.

“I hope you do,” Kevin said, standing. “Because you’re gonna face hell for this.”

Sunwoo swallowed. “I know.”

Eric looked between them in confusion. 

“I won’t tell the others what you said, but we have a lot to deal with. The other hunters won’t leave until we give Eric back to them.” Kevin gave them a look. “But we have to keep him here so we can question him about how much he knows. I’m sure you’ve told him plenty.” Sunwoo opened his mouth to argue. “We won’t do anything to him, okay? We just need to talk to him.” For the first time, Kevin turned to Eric. “Is that okay?”

Eric glanced at Sunwoo, who was still bristling with angry protectiveness. “Sure.”

“Well, then I want to be there. The whole time,” Sunwoo insisted.

Kevin smiled in amusement. “Fine.”

Sunwoo escorted Eric back out to the living area where the rest of the clan was waiting. He was ready to snap at anyone who so much as looked at Eric the wrong way. _He’s my human. Keep your hands off him._

“I told the hunters they’ll get their friend back tomorrow. I promised we wouldn’t hurt him. They weren’t happy about it, though,” Jacob told them as they entered. “Why do we need to question this one, again?”

“He studies fae culture. Probably does a lot of snooping. Who knows what he’s dug up,” Sunwoo said immediately. He looked to Sangyeon, but their leader was staring out the window, looking glazed over and out of it. 

Nobody really seemed like they bought it, but Jacob volunteered to do the questioning.

“Wait a minute,” Chanhee said. Everyone turned to look at him. “Wait a damn minute.”

“Waiting,” Kevin said, lips quirking in bemusement.

“Is this—” Chanhee picked something up from the floor. It was a dark, twisted lump of something. “I—”

Jacob snatched it out of his hands. Immediately, it turned a delighted blush pink. Home at last in the hands of its lover. “Kevin’s heart,” he breathed. 

“That’s my heart?” Kevin squinted. “Damn, it’s been, like, two hundred years since I’ve seen that thing. Looking good, Kevin.”

Jacob cradled it to his chest. “How did we get it back?” The heart seemed to pulse in joy, as if to say, _Jacob? I love Jacob! We love Jacob!_

Chanhee shrugged. “They must have had it with them. Probably dropped it. Our luck, then.”

Kevin looked like he might cry. Everyone was speechless. Jacob seemed reluctant to part with it. 

Sunwoo glanced at Eric to see how he was handling this. To his surprise, Eric also looked like he was trying not to cry. “This is so cute,” the human mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. 

After everyone had calmed down, Jacob went to question Eric. Sunwoo made to follow them down the hall, but Sangyeon stepped forward. “Sunwoo. Let me talk to you for a moment.”

“But— Eric,” Sunwoo said weakly. How could he explain why he needed to be there? 

“Who?” Sangyeon frowned. “Oh. The hunter. Don’t worry, Jacob’s taking care of it. He’ll be fine on his own.”

_It’s not Jacob I’m worried about._

Sunwoo followed Sangyeon up to the surface. So this was a private conversation, then. “Sunwoo, you what time it’s getting to be, right?”

Sunwoo froze. Well, he hadn’t been expecting that question. Eric forgotten, his hearts thumped nervously. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

“Good. Because you need to be thinking about the future.” Sangyeon studied him quietly. “You’ll have to trust your head above your heart. It knows what’s good for you.”

“What does that mean?” Sunwoo snapped.

“I mean, tangling your life with humans isn’t smart, especially not for you. I promised your mother—”

“Leave my mother out of this.”

“She won’t be around forever.”

“Fuck, you don’t think I know that?” Sunwoo tugged at his horns desperately. “Stop reminding me. I have enough to deal with. I don’t want to think about that.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Sangyeon sighed. “But you can’t forget your duty.”

Sunwoo shoved all thoughts of his family to the back of his mind. He needed to check on Eric. _Eric._ His hearts sped up.

His conversation with Sangyeon left his thoughts almost immediately. Suddenly all he could focus on was Eric, stepping in front of him, willing to sacrifice his relationship with the hunters for Sunwoo. Volunteering to be questioned because he knew he had nothing to hide, because he was willing to change everything for Sunwoo. Because against all odds, they’d met, and both their lives had been changed. 

Eric, who smiled so warmly and trusted so deeply and loved so fiercely. Love. What was it like, Sunwoo wondered, to be on the receiving end of that love? 

Why was it that he now found his head spinning at the thought of Eric looking at him, _seeing_ him, and why was he so scared? Why did he worry about how Eric saw him, if he knew who Sunwoo was but wanted him anyway? If Eric didn’t care about the battle of darkness and light that had made its home in Sunwoo’s hearts, and cared for him anyway?

Why was he so scared yet so willing to fall, to take the leap he’d been terrified of his whole life? Why was it now that he felt ready to face what he’d felt coming from the very first time their paths had crossed on that day in the bookshop?

Eric’s questioning finished an hour later. Sunwoo spent that time pacing outside their home, feeling the forest’s familiar warmth spreading through him. Clarity and catharsis rushed through him, filling his hearts with courage. He sent his thoughts, hopes, prayers up through the trees and into the sky, hoping it would reach the spirits far above who watched over him. 

Eric was looking for him. He could feel it. He’d probably emerged from questioning and was wondering where Sunwoo had gone. 

Eric was searching for Sunwoo, and Sunwoo was searching for Eric. Only, Sunwoo knew exactly where he was. And he knew exactly what he was going to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry to heap more questions onto yall. whats sunwoo going to do? whats going on with sangyeon? whats sunwoo's duty? tune in next time on "How do they not realize how gay they are for each other?"  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	18. 18. What the Thunderstorms Bring(Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunwoo takes a leap of faith and Eric meets him halfway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at last, the moment we've all been waiting for!  
> i hope youll enjoy this very gay chapter.
> 
> also, unrelated:  
> my friend cat is doing a tbz escape the night au on twitter, and yall should join in! @tbzescape   
> its hurting my brain but its very fun

18\. What the Thunderstorms Bring(Part 1)

Being questioned by a faerie wasn’t nearly as stressful as Eric imagined. Jacob was polite and didn’t pry too much. He mostly wanted to know about anything Sunwoo might have told him, which wasn’t much. Most of Eric’s knowledge on fae came from his own research, and it was all information publicly available. Jacob was actually impressed with his dedication to learning about fae. They had a nice conversation about implicit bias towards fae and how they’d like to see societal change.

Eric emerged from the woodland clan’s underground home and back into the sunlight. The forest was peaceful, the late spring sun making the leaves glow and leaving the ground dappled. Eric could understand the serenity Sunwoo felt in such a place, why he felt overcrowded in the city. Away from the chaos, his mind and thoughts were clearer. 

“Eric!” Like a soft spring breeze had moved him, rather than spinning of his own accord, Eric turned to see Sunwoo coming towards him. An unusual smile was fixed on his face. 

“There’s something off about you,” Eric greeted him with a grin.

Sunwoo paused. “Huh?”

“Yeah. You look happy. You know, happy? It’s when you’re not grumpy all the time.”

Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “You— I can be happy. I’m very happy right now.”

“Oh yeah? Why?” Eric couldn’t find a reason for why his heart was thumping so loudly. Maybe he was just nervous to be away from the other hunters. Or maybe it had something to do with the way Sunwoo was looking at him, his grin faded to a satisfied smile. 

“Come take a walk with me. I wanna show you the forest.” Sunwoo reached forward to take his hand. 

Eric felt warmth spread throughout his face and up to the tips of his ears. He wanted to make some comment about the forest all looking the same, but he couldn’t bring himself to snark. “Ok,” he answered breathlessly. He let the faerie lead him away from the others, following an invisible trail that twisted and snaked through the trees.

They walked for about five minutes in silence. Sunwoo wasn’t looking at him now, his gaze trained ahead like he was deep in thought.

“Are you ok with this?” Eric asked after a moment of hesitation.

Sunwoo jumped. “With— with what?” He asked nervously. Eric frowned.

“With me being with your clan. I know you’re really protective of them. If you think I’m putting them in danger, I can leave.”

“No!” Sunwoo turned to face him. “Please don’t leave.” 

“Oh,” Eric said softly. “Ok.”

“Sorry.” Sunwoo dropped his hand, and Eric felt disappointment seep into him from the point of vacancy. “It’s just— I feel like I just got you back.”

Eric tilted his head like a confused puppy. “Got me back?” He echoed.

“Like— we weren’t talking. And now we are. I don’t want to let you go.” Sunwoo was… blushing?

Eric shook his head. What was Sunwoo embarrassed about?

“Then I’ll stay with you,” Eric promised, a feeling of boldness striking his heart. He reached forward to take Sunwoo’s hands in his own. “As long as you want me to.”

Sunwoo met his gaze evenly, his cheerful smile gone, along with his nervous blush. “I think that’s longer than you’ll be here for.”

“Huh?” 

“Come on.” Sunwoo tugged him forward. They continued walking, until the trees opened up and made way for a long clearing teeming with life. 

“Wow,” Eric said. The trees that circled them had long roots that ran forward into the center of the clearing, where a beautiful plant had sprouted. Its vibrant purple blossoms burst forth, dripping what looked like honey towards the ground. A wide variety of animals surrounded the plant, licking honey off the petals and from the ground. Squirrels, birds, lizards, and many more little critters. “What is that?”

“Wildflower honey. It only comes from that specific plant. And it only blooms after it rains. Specifically, after it storms.” Sunwoo pulled him closer. Eric slowed his steps, not wanting to scare any of the little friends off.

Sunwoo crouched down. The animals swarmed towards him, nuzzling his hands and licking at his fingers. Eric sank down beside him. Sunwoo picked up a squirrel and held it close enough for Eric to reach out. Surprisingly, the critter stayed still enough for Eric to stroke its delicate head with one finger. 

“Amazing,” Eric said softly. “Does this happen every time it storms?”

Sunwoo nodded. “The day after. That’s why I love it when it storms. It’s like, everything is shaken up and washed clean. The whole forest is reset.” He lapsed into silence for a moment. Sunwoo and Eric stared down at the squirrel together, before Eric realized it was only him. He looked up to see Sunwoo meeting his gaze. “I’ve always been fond of what the thunderstorms bring. It’s like the whole forest comes alive and forgets whatever problems they have with each other. Everyone just comes together for the same reason.”

“Honey,” Eric finished. 

Sunwoo sighed. “Well, yeah, but I mean metaphorically.” He placed the squirrel back on the ground and reached for Eric’s hand again. “I just wish it was this easy for humans and faeries to get along.”

Eric looked at him in surprise. “Is that something you want?”

“Of course,” Sunwoo said quickly. He interlaced their fingers, and Eric’s heart started beating so fast Sunwoo could probably hear it. “Eric, listen to me.”

“Listening,” Eric squeaked. Sunwoo smiled and scooted closer so they were sitting across from each other, hands intertwined like the branches that arched above them, sheltering them from the heat of the sun and the scorn of the world. 

“I’m a hundred years old.”

“I know.”

“So I— wait, you know?”

“Yeah, Juyeon told me.”

“You talked to Juyeon about me?” Sunwoo spluttered. “Why? When?”

Eric shrugged. “I had some burning questions that needed answering.”

“What did he tell you?”

“Nothing that actually answered them.”

Sunwoo let out a sigh of relief. “Good. There are some things that aren’t good for you to know.”

“That’s ok. I don’t need to know everything about you if you’re not comfortable with me knowing yet,” Eric assured him.

Sunwoo’s lips parted slightly before he closed them again. “Do you wanna move away a bit?”

The question confused Eric before he realized what the woodland faerie meant. The woodland creatures weren’t thrilled about two large people hogging their area. “Oh, yeah. Sure.” Sunwoo helped Eric to his feet, and even though it left one of his hands resting on Eric’s waist, he didn’t remove it. 

“Thank you for coming out here with me,” Sunwoo told him as they moved back into the shelter of the trees. “I’ve never been here with someone else.”

“Really?” Eric turned in Sunwoo’s arms to look up at him. “Why me, then?”

“This is my special place, and you’re my special person.”

Something about the tender way Sunwoo said those words, the gentleness of his gaze, made Eric’s mouth go dry. Something about the way one of Sunwoo’s hands was intertwined with Eric’s while the other held his waist like it was his only anchor. Something about the way the space between their faces seemed closer than they’d ever been, yet it somehow wasn’t close enough. 

“Eric, I don’t care anymore.”

The fierceness of those words shocked Eric out of his whirlwind of gay thoughts. “What?”

“I don’t care about the laws and rules even though they’ve been in place for hundreds or thousands of years. I don’t care what the Empress says or what humans say or what anyone says if they’re not you.”

“...Oh.”

Eric found himself unable to look away from Sunwoo’s eyes. They were keeping him fixed in place, and he feared if he looked away, if he stepped away from Sunwoo now or ever, he would lose what grounded him to the earth. Sunwoo’s hand on his waist, grip tight yet comforting, kept him attached to the world.

Sunwoo slipped his other hand out of Eric’s grip and wrapped it around him, pulling him closer until their chests brushed together. Eric had to lean his head back to look Sunwoo in the eyes. Feeling bold and curious, Eric slipped his arms out of Sunwoo’s embrace and reached up to run his fingers over the faerie’s horns, the smooth ivory-like surface gliding beneath his fingertips. Sunwoo’s eyes slid closed for a moment before they opened again. Eric’s hands came to rest wrapped around Sunwoo’s neck, pulling him even closer until their noses were almost brushing.

“Fuck it,” Sunwoo said, though he barely had to breathe the words for Eric to hear them. “This can’t work between us, Eric.” Eric’s heart didn’t even have time to sink before Sunwoo rushed on. “But I know it’s supposed to. So I swear, I’m going to make it happen, even if I have to change the very shape of the world with my own two hands.”

“Huh?” Eric asked after a beat of silence. “What’s that mean?”

Sunwoo smirked. “I’ll show you what it means.”

It was exactly at that moment that Eric’s mind stopped working, his mouth stopped talking and his thoughts stopped swirling. Coincidentally, it was also exactly at that moment that Sunwoo kissed him.

It wasn’t like fireworks. It was like a blazing bonfire lit inside him. Eric felt every part of him, every nerve in his body come alive, burning so dangerously bright and hot that it made him melt into Sunwoo. 

His arms tightened around Sunwoo’s neck, the grip on his waist so secure yet gentle. 

Sunwoo’s lips were passionate yet considerate, every move cautious and wondering. Eric didn’t waste time on consideration, and met Sunwoo’s passion with his own. He pulled them backwards until he felt his back hit a tree. Sunwoo’s hands framed him against the bark, pulling back for just a moment so Eric could see his dark eyes, pupils blown wide and glazed. 

Sunwoo nuzzled his face into Eric’s neck, pressing soft kisses against his skin and making his way back to his lips. 

Their tongues tangled together, and although Eric had once wondered if making out would feel gross, he was too fucking whipped for Sunwoo to care.

Sunwoo grabbed his hips again, his touch now desperate and needy. Eric threaded his fingers into the faerie’s hair and tried to press him closer, but they were already pinned together so tightly there was nowhere to go. He felt every part of his body aligned with Sunwoo, every inch of him covered in heat.

Sunwoo kissed him again and again, and began to whisper between each kiss. “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long. You’re beautiful, did you know? I think I need you. I think I’ve needed you my whole life.”

Eric ran out of breath before Sunwoo, and they leaned their foreheads together, breathing as one. 

“Eric, I love you,” Sunwoo murmured against his lips.

Eric didn’t have a great idea of how relationships were supposed to work, but he was pretty sure “first kiss” and “saying _I love you”_ didn’t happen at the same time.

Did Sunwoo— could he really mean that? Did he really feel _love_ for Eric? Was that even possible?

Oh shit, should he say it back? Did he love Sunwoo?

_Yes,_ his heart told him. _Yes you fucking do you love him so much._

_Love is a big word,_ his head cautioned. 

_No, it’s four letters,_ his heart snapped.

Eric almost snorted out loud. Did he love Sunwoo?

He’d been willing to leave behind the hunters, his only real family for three years, and change himself, all for Sunwoo. Sunwoo had taught him to see the hypocrisy behind his actions, and allowed him the chance to make things right. Sunwoo had made him a better person. He loved Sunwoo. 

“I love you too,” he whispered back.

They stayed there, wrapping in each other's arms, for a long time. Somehow, the sun had set. 

“Wasn’t it just morning?” Eric asked in confusion as Sunwoo loosened his hold. 

“Nah, it was afternoon. But it shouldn’t have gotten dark this early.” They stared at each other in mutual confusion.

“We weren’t—”

“I mean, it can’t have been that long—”

“We just lost track of time—”

“Probably because we walked for so long—”

“Not because we were doing this for that long….”

They met each other’s eyes again and burst out laughing, as if they were connected. As if a red thread tied around each of their fingers found its center in the middle of their eye contact. 

“Should we go back?” Eric asked.

“I don’t want to,” Sunwoo confessed. 

“Me either.”

“Want to sleep outside with me tonight?” Sunwoo asked nervously. “Under the stars. It might get cold, but I’ll keep you warm.”

Eric’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“You’ll have to go back to the city tomorrow. But I’d like to spend tonight as close to you as possible, if that’s alright.” Sunwoo laced their fingers together again. Eric smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again.

“I’d love to.”

Sangyeon gave them a knowing smile as they came back. Sunwoo tried to discreetly herd Eric into his room to grab blankets and pillows and such, but there was no amount of subtlety that could hide from Kevin. He smirked at them from the doorway. “Planning a romantic night under the stars?” He catcalled, eyes slit in amusement.

“Maybe I am,” Sunwoo snapped, stuffing Eric’s arms with pillows before he could open his mouth. “You’re not invited.”

“Trust me, I have no interest in your PG-rated sleepover.” Kevin’s eyes flicked to Eric. “Be careful.”

Eric popped his head around the stack of pillows in his arms to grin at Kevin. “Okay!” He was surprised at how welcoming the faeries had been. If the situation was reversed, Sunwoo probably wouldn’t have survived this long with Hyunjae. But after the initial questioning, they’d seemed content to let him do whatever, so long as he didn’t wander off. But he had no intention of doing so.

He had no reason to leave when everything he needed was right here. 

Eric grinned at Sunwoo, delighted when the faerie smiled back immediately. It was different. Sunwoo wasn’t as shy as before. Like he’d come to accept that Eric was too cute to ignore anymore.

“I’m sure your hunter friends will be much more protective of you when we go back to the city,” Kevin interrupted. 

“We?” Sunwoo echoed.

Kevin nodded. “We were only supposed to be here temporarily, so we’re heading back to the city tomorrow. We’ll take Eric with us.” 

Sunwoo and Eric exchanged delighted looks. “So we won’t be far apart at all!” Eric exclaimed.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? No way your pals will let you out of their sight.” Kevin crossed his arms. “It’s too dangerous for you two to try and meet up once we get back.”

“I’ll find a way,” Sunwoo promised.

“Yeah, we’ll figure something out!” Eric moved to stand next to Sunwoo, who’d done that thing of his where he stood in front of Eric as if to shield him from the world. 

As if it sensed that a change in subject was necessary, Eric’s stomach grumbled. “Um,” he said nervously. The faeries turned to look at him. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything here I can eat, would you?”

Kevin grinned. “You like instant ramen?” 

Eric slurped down the noodles as fast he could, aware that the faeries all had their eyes trained on him. 

“What?” Sunwoo snapped at them, and everyone immediately directed their attention elsewhere. 

“Weird that humans have to eat so often,” Changmin observed, chin resting in his hands as he admired Eric from across the kitchen counter. “Are you hungry all the time?”

“Um. No.” Eric glanced at Sunwoo uncertainly and pushed away his empty bowl. “Just… like, at the normal times.”

“So when is considered normal?”

“It’s getting dark. Let’s go.” Sunwoo led Eric away from the rest of the clan by his waist. They’d already dropped everything up at the surface, but Sunwoo had insisted on arranging everything himself. 

When they arrived back up in the forest, Sunwoo led Eric further into the trees until they came to a clearing smaller than the one they’d ventured to earlier that day. Eric’s jaw dropped. Sunwoo had assembled the bedding into a circle, the outside lined with fluffy pillows and the inside a cushy layer of blanket. 

“It’s a cuddle nest!” Eric declared excitedly.

“A what?”

“Come on!” Eric grabbed Sunwoo’s hand and dove forward into the softness. The grass beneath the blankets seemed to catch him, holding him tenderly. As if the very forest itself was cradling him. 

Rolling onto his back, Eric realized they had a perfect circular cutout of sky above them. There was no pollution this far from the city, not even a cloud to obscure their view. Sunwoo propped himself up on one elbow.

“We can finally have our stargazing date,” Sunwoo told him, stroking hair back from Eric’s face to kiss his forehead. Eric blushed and squirmed beneath him.

“Tell me about the constellations you know,” Eric said. 

“They’re probably not ones you’ve heard of.” Sunwoo lay down beside him. “Fae have different constellations than humans.”

“For real?” Eric burst out. He quickly lowered his voice. “Why?”

“Ours probably came first,” Sunwoo added. “Humans like to do things their own way. But we mapped out the spirits in the stars long before humans even looked at them.” Sunwoo pointed out every star they could see, Eric lying his head in the crook between his neck and his shoulder. Sunwoo’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, holding him safe and tight.

“Which one’s your favorite?”

Sunwoo pointed to the one directly above them. “That’s the forest spirit.”

“Really? Does she watch over this forest, or just the one in the woodland capital?”

“Every forest in the world.” Sunwoo’s voice became barely louder than a breath. “She’s the guardian spirit of woodland fae, which is why we mostly stay in forests. It’s where we’re safest and strongest.” His fingers tangled in Eric’s blonde locks. “But I’d be happiest wherever you are.”

Eric almost missed him say the last part despite Sunwoo’s mouth being inches from his ear. He didn’t quite know what to say to that.

Sunwoo rolled over to face him, their foreheads and noses brushing. “Goodnight,” Sunwoo whispered, arms wrapping securely around Eric’s waist.

“What if I have to pee in the middle of the night?”

“Go behind a tree.”

“Ok. Goodnight.”

The gentle brush of Sunwoo’s lips against his were the last thing Eric felt before he fell into blissful rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, right?? took them long enough....  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings  
> ~Li


	19. 19. And They Were Boyfriends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aw, another cute chapter! enjoy it while it lasts....

19\. And They Were Boyfriends

Sunwoo laced his fingers through Eric’s under the table. The human smiled at him bashfully, candlelight playing shadows across his face and throwing the rest of the world into darkness. It was only them and the soft words shared between them, the gentle tracing of Sunwoo’s thumb across Eric’s knuckles. He could have stayed there, staring into his beloved’s eyes, for eternity.

Eric opened his mouth. “That’s kinda creepy,” he said.

“Hmm?” Sunwoo mumbled sleepily.

Eric’s voice became Chanhee’s. “I don’t even _want_ to know what kind of dream you’re having.”

Sunwoo’s eyes slammed open.

Chanhee’s mouth was twisted into a bemused smile. “What’s got you so smiley, Sun?”

“Nothing,” Sunwoo growled, pushing the pink haired faerie away from him. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with him? _Beloved?_ They’d been together for like, a day.

He kicked the soft sheets away from him. Juyeon’s studio apartment was surprisingly spacious, and the entire clan had been able to take up residence with him. It certainly beat their shitty apartment.

They’d arrived back in the city yesterday and sent Eric off back to join the hunters. There wasn’t much Sunwoo could do in a car with all the other faeries, but it took all of his willpower to not pull Eric back to him.

He was so fucking whipped.

He couldn’t get the feeling of Eric’s lips out of his head, his smaller hands and the way his head fit perfectly against Sunwoo’s chest, how natural they felt against each other. Sunwoo would give anything to wrap his arms around Eric’s waist again and pull him close. He felt like he was going through withdrawal.

Sunwoo stretched and made his way into the spacious kitchen and living area. At least now he had a room to himself. He felt his ears warm as he thought of what that would mean for him and Eric.

He pushed away images of Eric in his bed and joined Sangyeon and Juyeon at the kitchen counter.

“Morning,” Juyeon offered. He passed a cup of coffee to Sunwoo. “You enjoy your room all to yourself?”

Sunwoo grinned. “Definitely.” Perks of staying with Juyeon: he actually respected Sunwoo, unlike the _others._

He glanced sideways at Sangyeon, who was staring down at his cup of tea, eyes glazed over. He’d been like that a lot. Ever since the hunters burst into their forest home, Sangyeon had been faraway looks and distant gazes. It took a lot of prompting to get his attention.

He was probably feeling guilty, Sunwoo mused. He wanted to keep his clan safe and instead led them into the path of danger.

But look where it had gotten Sunwoo. He’d never have had the guts to confess to Eric back in the city. The forest gave him his strength.

His stomach clenched. _I love you,_ he’d said, unprompted and out of nowhere. But Eric had said it back. He’d said _I love you too._ Sunwoo wanted to giggle like a little kid. He wished the school day were over already so he could see his— well, what were they? Not dating, exactly. Certainly they weren’t mates… yet.

His person. Eric was his person. Eric was his.

His lover. His friend. Sunwoo propped his chin on his hand and tried not to sigh like a lovesick school girl. 

Kevin materialized before him and wiggled his eyebrows. Sunwoo glared. It was risky trusting his secret to Kevin when that little shit told Jacob _everything,_ and Jacob would be sure to tell Sangyeon, but it was a risk he’d have to take.

He couldn’t afford to tell anyone else about him and Eric yet. It was illegal, it was unlawful, it was a scorn to his people given his position. It was impossible. And Sunwoo didn’t give a shit.

Jacob. That reminded him. Oh, but how to ask him without seeming suspicious?

There was no way he and Eric would keep their relationship secret in public. He refused to deny Eric the most beautiful and romantic of dates. He deserved no less.

But it would draw far too much attention to be seen as a human and a faerie in public. So that only left them with the option of Sunwoo using faerie dust to disguise himself. And since Sunwoo wasn’t particularly skilled with faerie dust(read: at all), that meant asking Jacob for help.

Sunwoo passed the rest of the day planning their dates. Jacob was pretty good at not asking questions, so he just needed a good enough coverup that he wouldn’t pry any further.

Sunwoo hovered at the door to Kevin and Jacob’s room. He knocked, because from experience it wasn’t wise to just barge in unannounced. “Yeah?” Kevin called out.

Sunwoo poked his head in. The two Canadians lounged on their queen sized bed— one finally big enough for them to comfortably share—, Kevin curled on Jacob’s chest, head resting comfortable above his mate’s heart.

“Need help with something?” Kevin teased.

“Yeah, from Jacob, actually,” Sunwoo told them. The shorter man’s eyes widened.

“Oh. Okay.” Jacob freed himself from Kevin’s clutches and dropped a kiss onto his mate’s dark head. “BRB, I guess.”

Sunwoo rolled his eyes. He led Jacob back to his room to get away from Changmin and Chanhee’s prying eyes and ears.

“You’re the best at using faerie dust here, right?” Sunwoo asked.

Jacob beamed. “Yeah, I’d like to say so!” 

“Great.” Sunwoo took a breath. “I want you to help me learn how to… how to disguise myself.” 

Jacob tipped his head. “Disguise yourself? Why?”

“Well—” Sunwoo floundered. “I just want to go out and be able to explore more comfortably, I guess.”

That seemed to satisfy Jacob’s curiosity, and even if he told Kevin, it would be fine, Sunwoo reminded himself. 

“I’d love to help you! So the first thing to remember about faerie dust is….”

Sunwoo took avid notes on Jacob’s teachings. It’s all for Eric, he told himself. Even if it’s hard, even if you don’t get it. Anything for Eric.

It took a few days to get the hang of it. Days they spent hanging out at night in the dark, or at Eric’s house when his parents weren’t home and they had the freedom to do things while no one was watching.

But eventually Sunwoo was able to sprinkle faerie dust on himself and will his horns to flicker and disappear, his ears to round and his teeth to shrink until he looked jarringly like a human.

He donned a gray hoodie and skinny jeans and realized he looked just like one of Eric’s little human friends as he made his way to the high school. He felt giddy with the surprise. 

Sunwoo loitered outside the front gates and waited for Eric to come out. When he did, Sunwoo felt the stab of an unfamiliar emotion. Eric was walking side by side with his human classmate, a tall, wellbuilt boy with dark hair and a handsome face. The unfamiliar emotion, Sunwoo realized, was jealousy. He didn’t like seeing Eric’s sunny smile directed at someone else. Stupid, he knew, because Eric had the right to smile at whoever he wanted and Sunwoo had no right to dictate that. 

Didn’t mean he couldn’t get revenge, though.

Eric’s eyes widened when he spotted Sunwoo waiting for him, turning to his friend and saying, “I’ll catch you later, Wyatt.” He hurried towards Sunwoo with a substantially larger grin than before.

“What are you doing here?” Eric asked in disbelief. “You look—” His eyes took in the lack of horns, the human appearance. “Like me.”

“I know.” Sunwoo pulled Eric to him and kissed him long enough to make sure his little friend saw.

“Sunny,” Eric blushed. Sunwoo felt himself melt into the hot pavement below. “Everyone can see us.”

“Don’t care.” Sunwoo kissed him again, relishing in the eager part of Eric’s lips and the shocked stares of the moms around them. “Let’s go out.” 

“But— I have homework,” Eric protested weakly.

“Homework can wait, your hot boyfriend wants to treat you to sushi.”

“Can’t argue with that.” 

Sunwoo watched to see his reaction. Eric hadn’t even reacted to Sunwoo’s use of the word boyfriend. That was good. He would like to use it more. Boyfriends. They were boyfriends.

Sunwoo laced his fingers through Eric’s and tugged him along towards the sushi place he’d scouted during his date research. A human only establishment, but they probably hadn’t anticipated a crafty fae cheating the system for a date with his human boyfriend.

They sat by the window of the small and cutely decorated sushi place, Eric admiring the paper lanterns and string lights across the ceiling while Sunwoo studied the menu in bemusement. Everything was so plain. Not at all like the faerie restaurants he frequented.

“I’m gonna have to get you to try fae food some time,” Sunwoo said in a low voice. “The non poisonous to humans stuff, of course.”

“O-oh.” Eric smiled hesitantly. “Sure.”

“Not— if you don’t want to though,” Sunwoo assured him. What if Eric didn’t like the same things Sunwoo loved, what if their tastes were too different and Eric decided he didn’t want to be with a faerie—

There was no point in psyching himself out. He knew Eric loved him. Would Eric have made such an effort to change his direction in life for Sunwoo if he didn’t?

They held hands under the table while they ordered and Eric tried to stuff as many sushi rolls into Sunwoo’s mouth as he could. He almost choked on them while he smacked Eric’s hands away from his face.

Eric cackled and Sunwoo swallowed half a dozen sushi rolls to smile at him. 

“My parents are out, let’s go to my place,” Eric said, and Sunwoo would’ve been a fool to say no.

Eric dropped his backpack by the door and led Sunwoo up to his room by the hand. It wasn’t the first time Sunwoo had been in Eric’s room, but he always felt attacked by the sheer amount of pink. 

The walls were a pale blush pink, the bedspreads a cotton candy shade. Even the skateboards propped against the wall were different variations of pink. It was very Eric.

As was the unicorn plushie sitting on his bed that Eric immediately settled on his lap and squeezed.

_Cute,_ Sunwoo thought, and had the urge to take a picture. He snuck one of Eric holding up the plushie, staring into its eyes, and made it his home screen. _Fucking adorable._

“I brought you something,” Sunwoo said uncertainly. Eric immediately turned to give him his full attention. “Well, Chanhee made them, but I stole some to bring to you.”

He hesitantly brought the tupperware of almond squirrel cookies out from behind his back. “They’re my favorite cookies, and he always makes them for me when I’m having a bad day.” Sunwoo smiled softly and Eric immediately reached for it. 

“They’re probably pretty different from what you’re used to,” Sunwoo explained quickly. “So it’s okay if you think they’re weird.”

“What are they?” Eric asked curiously, taking a light brown cookie out of the box.

“Almond squirrel cookies.”

Eric squinted. “They don’t look like squirrels.”

“No, the squirrel’s inside.”

Eric almost dropped the cookie. “You put squirrels inside the cookies?”

“That gives them their flavor,” Sunwoo explained uncomfortably. “You don’t have to try it if you don’t want to—”

Eric popped the whole thing into his mouth. He blinked. “Oh. It’s better than I thought.” He reached for another. “I think I heard about these somewhere.”

Eric pulled a book from his nightstand and flipped through it. “That’s the recipe book I gave you,” Sunwoo recognized. 

“Oh, yeah!” Eric grinned. “Thanks.”

“It’s Chanhee’s. I stole it. Was kind of trying to tell you something, but I guess you didn’t get that far.” Sunwoo flipped through the book until he found the page with almond squirrel cookies. On the margin of the page, scrawled in ancient fae writing, were the words _Sunwoo’s favorite._

“Oh,” Eric observed. “That would’ve been helpful for me to see a while ago.”

Sunwoo snorted. “Yeah, I bet.”

Eric then entertained him by quizzing Sunwoo on his homework questions, and after they’d struggled through them together, they went out for dinner because they were hungry again.

“Let’s go to a fae restaurant,” Sunwoo suggested.

“Really?” Eric looked excited for a moment before his shoulders sagged. “But what if they don’t let me in?”

It would be difficult to reverse-disguise Eric as fae. “You’re with me. You’ll be fine.” They might get some weird looks, but Sunwoo was positive he was well-known enough that no one would mess with him.

“Okay.” Eric seemed reassured. He kissed Sunwoo on the cheek. “I’m excited, then!”

Sunwoo’s hearts blossomed at the thought of Eric’s enthusiasm for his culture. _Don’t get too excited. You can’t tell him everything._

Yeah. The fact that he couldn’t tell Eric who he really was was sort of a downer.

His faerie dust disguise was starting to wear off by the time they arrived at the fae restaurant. They specialized in woodland delicacies, and Sunwoo practically salivated at the thought of some home cooked bear stew.

Woodland faeries would eat the meat of any woodland animal if it was weak enough to not survive the forest on its own. The only animal they didn’t touch was the sacred elk.

The second the door closed behind them, every pair of eyes in the restaurant turned to stare at them. Sunwoo straightened and flicked his coat open so the hilts of his elkhorn swords were visible. “Two, please,” he said loudly. Eric shrank behind him.

A waitress materialized beside them, looking relatively normal until you noticed the small wings sprouting out of her ankles. Fleetfoot fae.

She seated them in the back of the restaurant, the tables they reserved for annoying or unwelcome people. Sunwoo felt his irritation grow, but he flashed her a charismatic smile and thanked her anyway.

Eric’s eyes grew wider the farther down the menu they traveled. “Wow,” he said. “This stuff is… wow.”

Sunwoo peered through the menu, trying to find something good for Eric. Foxglove soup? Poisonous. Nightshade pizza? Deadly. Hollyberry smoothie? Also a no-no.

Oh, look. There was a _For the faint of heart_ section on the back page. Perfect.

“Oh, God bless,” Eric sighed. “Mac and cheese.”

“Make sure it doesn’t come with snapping jalapeños,” Sunwoo advised. “They’re about six times spicier than your spiciest pepper. Fireborne fae are something else, I tell you.”

Eric swallowed. “Right.”

They made an effort to tune out the whisperings of everyone around them as the food came. The waitress delivered Sunwoo’s stew, bowed, and left.

“At least someone’s polite,” Eric observed. Sunwoo just smirked.

Eric tried to take a picture of the food. He frowned at his phone. “Ugh. It’s dead.”

“Let me.” Sunwoo definitely didn’t also take pictures of Eric looking delighted as he snapped pictures of his stew. 

They finished the meal quickly and Sunwoo walked Eric back to his house. “We probably don’t have enough time for a movie or something, my parents will be home soon,” Eric explained. 

“That’s okay.”

Sunwoo reached the door to Eric’s room first. He frowned. There was light coming from underneath the door.

He pushed it open slowly, and the person sitting on Eric’s bed stood. “Finally, I was waiting for you.”

The person in Eric’s room looked just as startled to see Sunwoo as Sunwoo was to see him. Eric wiggled past him to see the intruder. 

“Hyunjoon?” Eric asked in confusion. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sunwoo stepped in front of Eric protectively. Hwall the bounty hunter just couldn’t stay out of peoples’ business.

“I texted you,” Hwall said uncertainly.

“My phone died,” Eric explained. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you in Eric’s room?” Sunwoo interrupted. “What gives you the right to break into his house?”

Hwall snorted. “We’ve been best friends since middle school. I’ve been breaking into his house since the sixth grade.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to come in without permission. What if his parents were home?”

“So? Unlike you, I don’t have to sneak around them. They love me. I’m human.” Hwall narrowed his eyes.

Sunwoo growled. Eric’s eyes flicked back and forth like it was a tennis match.

Sunwoo didn’t know how to voice his real concern, which was _why the hell was this guy on my boyfriend’s_ bed, _and why isn’t Eric more concerned about it?_

“What gives you the right to speak for him, anyway?” Hwall asked lazily.

“What gives you the right to come into his room and make yourself at home?” Sunwoo folded his arms. 

“I think you’ve been doing much more in this room than me.” Hwall seemed to enjoy getting under Sunwoo’s skin. Sunwoo would rather just rip his skin off in one go and watch the human scream.

Sunwoo grabbed the bounty hunter by the arm. Sure, Hwall was taller than him, but unlike faerie hunters, bounty hunters weren’t trained to take out fae specifically. Sunwoo felt no threat from Hwall.

“Come talk with me for a second,” Sunwoo said with a predatory grin. Finally, the human looked unnerved.

Confused Eric forgotten, Sunwoo confronted Hwall in the hallway. “What were you doing here, waiting for Eric?” He growled.

“I’m his friend. I was worried about him, because he got kidnapped by faeries,” Hwall explained calmly. He adjusted his collar obnoxiously.

“We didn’t kidnap him,” Sunwoo hissed. “He had no issue with staying with us.”

“Because you seduced him with your masculine charms?” Hwall teased.

“Fuck off. What, you in love with him or something? Trust me, he’s not interested.”

Hwall’s eyes widened. “Oh, is that what this is about?” He leaned forward, pressing Sunwoo back against the wall. “You’re jealous. You’re scared of losing Eric because you don’t have enough faith in his feelings for you. You’re worried, because being with a faerie is so difficult and you don’t want to lose him to a human like me.”

Sunwoo blinked. HIs lack of response made Hwall smile. “You’re disappointingly insecure, you know? When you came at me on the rooftop, I thought, shit, that’s a scary dude. And then you seemed to know Eric, and wasn’t that interesting? Looks like you did something about it, but you haven’t gotten very far yet.” Sunwoo bristled, but Hwall didn’t let him interrupt. “You haven’t mated with him yet, have you? I bet that’s tearing you apart.” Hwall narrowed his eyes. “You fae need your partner for life, but Eric’s life is going to be very short compared to yours. You don’t even know if you _can_ mate with him, because what if he isn’t your mate at all?”

Sunwoo snarled. He grabbed Hwall and resisted the urge to slam him against the wall. He didn’t want to get Eric freaked out. “So what, you’d rather he be with you instead? You want him? He loves me. I love him. Doesn’t matter what you try, I’m not letting you get your hands on him. No one will.”

Hwall smirked. He stepped back and brushed himself off. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.”

Sunwoo paused. “What?”

“As long as you’re looking out for Eric, I don’t care what you do with him.” Hwall shrugged. “I’m sure he’s in good hands if you’re that fucking protective.” He regarded Sunwoo in amusement, who still seemed to not totally get it. “I’m aromantic, dude. I’m not into Eric that way.”

Oh.

_Oh._

“I just want to make sure you’re not going to hurt my best friend. Sorry.”

Hwall held out his hand. Sunwoo blinked. “Did you have to be that much of an asshole?” He grumbled as he shook the bounty hunter’s hand.

“No, but it was fun.” 

Sunwoo turned to Eric’s room, but his eye caught on Hwall’s jacket. Something was glinting at him from there.

A pin— no, a crest. A gold brooch with crossed arrows on it. His eyes widened. 

That same crest, carved into the arrows that—

No, no, it wasn’t possible, Hwall was too young. Or maybe not. It was only two years ago, after all.

Sunwoo felt sick. God, he was going to throw up.

“That’s a nice pin.” Hwall looked at him in surprise. Sunwoo’s voice was icy now. 

“Thanks.”

“Where’d you get it?” Sunwoo asked. His tone left no room for negotiation.

“It was made for me,” Hwall said with a lazy grin. “One of a kind.”

“I see.” Now Sunwoo had no regrets in grabbing Hwall by the throat and slamming him against the wall. Hwall choked in surprise. 

“You know, Heo Hyunjoon, a bounty hunter who used that same crest pierced my father’s hearts with arrows just like that two years ago,” Sunwoo growled.

“Did they now.” Hwall’s eyes were just as cool, but his voice shook.

“Don’t act as if you don’t know who I am.”

“Should I?”

“Oh, please.” Sunwoo dug his sharp nails into Hwall’s neck. 

“I’ve killed a lot of faeries. I get a lot of kill orders. I’m good at what I do. Forgive me if I don’t remember your old man.”

“Sunwoo,” Sunwoo told him. “Kim Sunwoo. Ring a bell?”

“Nope— Oh.” Hwall’s eyes widened. “You’re—”

“Don’t,” Sunwoo hissed. “Eric doesn’t know.”

“Oh, now, why would you tell me that?” Hwall was smirking again. “Now I’ve got blackmail.”

“You shouldn’t talk about blackmail. What you did is enough to get you executed by the faerie courts immediately.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure.” Hwall grinned. “Who do you think hired me to off him in the first place?”

Sunwoo froze. “Well—” He’d always assumed it was some assassin. Someone with a grudge. Who else would—

“If not your dear mother, of course?”

Sunwoo felt his stomach plummet. His mom had hired Hwall to kill his father? But— why? Sure, their mate bond had faded for a couple hundred years, and he had the tendency to control her decisions and had been a shittyass dad to Sunwoo, but hired murder? Sunwoo felt sick again.

“Are you done with your interrogation?” Hwall asked. 

Sunwoo glared with empty hatred. “Fine.” There wasn’t anything he could do short of killing the human, and Eric would be pissed if he did. “Get out of here.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Hwall scampered out of his sight as fast as he could.

Sunwoo returned to Eric’s room. His boyfriend stared at him with wide eyed concern. “What happened? Are you alright?” Eric’s concern filled him with warmth. 

“I’m alright. Don’t worry.” He pulled Eric into his lap. “How close are you with your friend Hwall?”

“Hyunjoonie? I met him in middle school.” Eric settled back against his chest. “I thought he was cute. Not as cute as you, though.” Eric lifted Sunwoo’s hand and kissed the back of it. Sunwoo’s hearts nearly broke with tenderness. “Why?”

“He’s keeping a lot from you, I think.” _And so am I._ But Sunwoo was keeping secrets from Eric for his own good. Hwall was just a sneaky, murderous bastard.

“I’m sure you are, too.” Sunwoo blinked. Eric’s wide eyes stared up at him. “I’m not mad, I can just tell,” Eric assured him. “You can tell me when you’re ready.” 

_I’m not sure if I ever can._ Sunwoo wrapped his arms around Eric and held him close. They fit together so perfectly it was painful. How could he ever let go?

Maybe one more person knew their secret, but wrapped in Eric’s pink bedspread, they were safe from the world. And as long as Sunwoo had a say, no matter where Eric went, he’d always be safe. 

He let Eric pick a Disney movie and tucked his nose into the crook of his boyfriend’s neck. “I love you,” he mumbled drowsily, and even though Eric had warned about his parents coming home, Sunwoo drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you all like the way the story's progressing... there should be some answers coming your way soon!  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	20. 20. Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those of you awaiting answers about hyunjae... yeah this chapter might just give you more questions but we're getting closer to the truth!  
> sorry if the second half of the chapter might be kinda boring.... stuff will happen soon i promise!!

20\. Magic

He never closed his curtains last night, and so the light streaming through the windows woke him up earlier than he’d like. An unforeseen blessing in disguise.

Eric snuggled deeper into Sunwoo’s chest, warm and wrapped in the faerie’s arms underneath the covers. He could hear both of Sunwoo’s hearts beating in time, slow and steady and safe.

Sunwoo’s large hand came up to stroke his hair gently. “Morning,” Eric mumbled sleepily. He was content to just lay there for the whole day. If only he didn’t have school.

Oh, fuck.

A knock came from his bedroom door. “Eric? You awake, sweetie?”

Eric and Sunwoo sat up so fast their heads slammed into each other. “Ow,” Eric muttered, and then slapped a hand over his mouth. At least he hadn’t gotten speared by one of those sharp horns. 

“You need to go,” Eric hissed. Sunwoo looked to the door questioningly. “Um… the window?”

Sunwoo shrugged. He untangled himself from Eric’s sheets. His hair was mussed and his face slightly puffy from sleep. Eric wanted to bury him with kisses, but that would have to wait for later.

Thankfully, two stories was nothing for a faerie, and Sunwoo leaped out the window and disappeared from sight. Eric opened his door and faced his mom in disappointment. “Morning,” he said for the second time. 

“Good morning,” his mom said. “Were you alright without us?”

“Mhm.” His parents had a frequent habit of going on business trips for multiple days without telling him. He was used to it. “Good. One of your friends left this for you, by the way.” 

Eric’s heart seized. Friends? Was it from—

“Here.” His mom handed him a letter.

Oh. It was from Hyunjae.

Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. _I don’t know why you’re not answering your phone, but maybe you’ll respond to a goddamn letter. Come to our hotel at noon._

Guess he was skipping school today.

Eric folded the letter before his mom could see. So Hyunjae had noticed Eric blowing him off. He’d felt too guilty to even be around the hunter when he’d rather spend his time with Sunwoo. _His boyfriend._

The word made him feel lightheaded and giddy. 

_Boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend._

He’d never dreamed he’d actually get to ever use that word. Certainly not so early in his life.

It was close to noon now. No time to go back to bed and revel in the lingering scent Sunwoo left behind. He’d have to get going. 

Eric gave his unicorn plushie a squeeze to ease his nerves and headed out as soon as he was decent. 

Thankfully, it was Haknyeon who met him at the door with a friendly grin and led him up to the room. “I’ve missed you,” Haknyeon told him. “Ever since you came back I feel like I haven’t seen you at all.”

Eric scratched his head. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“Take all the time you need, man. I’d be pretty out of it if I got kidnapped by faeries.”

_Are you kidding me? That was the best thing that’s ever happened to me._

Maybe he _could_ tell Haknyeon the truth. Or part of it. Of all the hunters, he was the most likely to understand. 

“Hyunjae wants to talk to you,” Haknyeon told him as they entered the hotel room. Haknyeon and Younghoon shared one that neighbored Hyunjae’s. 

“I think I need to talk to him too,” Eric muttered, more to himself. Maybe this was the right time to voice some of the things he’d been doing behind the hunters’ backs.

Haknyeon knocked on the adjoining door to Hyunjae’s room. “Boss? Eric’s here.”

There was no reply. “Just go in,” Haknyeon advised. He flopped down on the bed next to Younghoon. The taller hunter gave Eric a nod in greeting.

Cautiously, Eric pushed the door open. Hyunjae sat on his bed, staring at something in his hand. When Eric came in, he pushed it into a box and slammed it closed.

Was that— No. He must have seen wrong.

“You’re here,” Hyunjae observed. Eric couldn’t help the nerves twisting unreasonably in his stomach. It’s not like Hyunjae would _hurt him._

.…Right?

“Sit down, Eric.” 

Eric sat.

“I know what you’ve been doing,” Hyunjae told him. “You’re drawing away from the hunter’s path.”

Eric was reminded of what Juyeon told him. That Hyunjae had let him join in the hopes that he’d see being a hunter wasn’t for him. Maybe Hyunjae was going to be proud of him after all.

“I figured it was only a matter of time,” Hyunjae continued. “But I fear it’s for the wrong reasons.”

Eric frowned. “You—”

“Fraternizing with fae is dangerous,” Hyunjae warned him. “If you think you’ve met someone who’s “different”, you’re wrong.” Hyunjae shook his head. “Faeries are all the same.”

“How can you say that?” Eric burst out. “That— that’s like saying all humans are the same. Of course that’s not true! Every person is different and unique—”

“But faeries aren’t really people.”

“Of course they are!” Eric protested. “They— they’re—” 

“Are they?” Hyunjae leaned forward. “I don’t think they have it in them for any empathy towards humans.”

“You’re wrong.” Eric shook his head.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes!” Maybe he didn’t know his clan well, but Eric was positive that Sunwoo would never hurt him. _I love him._

Hyunjae’s lip curled in disgust. “Eric, I’m telling you, if you’ve got some faerie friend that you’re convinced will look past the fact that you’re human, it’s best to distance yourself before it’s too late. They view us as inferior and _less than,_ and you don’t want to get mixed up with one.”

Eric shot to his feet. “Look, I don’t know what experience you had with fae, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to treat every faerie like they’re that bad! Faeries are _not_ the monsters you make them out to be!”

His heart pounded. Never had he raised his voice at Hyunjae. He waited for the explosion, for the furious yelling that was about to be unleashed on him.

Instead, Hyunjae met his eyes evenly. “You want to know what faeries did to me?” He asked calmly. Eric got the sickening feeling he was about to see something he didn’t want to see.

Slowly, Hyunjae tugged his shirt off. Eric hovered uncertainly, debating whether he should look away. Then Hyunjae turned around, and his eyes became transfixed.

Hyunjae’s back was a battlefield. That was the only way to describe it. 

Not a square inch of skin was left untouched. Hundreds— it had to be hundreds— of long, thin scars lashed across his back. Whip lashes, they looked like. Eric choked. He couldn’t imagine the immense pain they must have caused, and how long Hyunjae must have endured it due to the sheer number of lashes inflicted.

“This is what the fae do to those they don’t like,” Hyunjae told him, shrugging his shirt back on. “My crime? Existing. At that time, I hadn’t done anything. Wasn’t even a hunter yet.”

He wasn’t even a hunter yet? That made no sense. 

“Then why….” Eric trailed off. What was the reason behind those scars, then?

Eric swallowed. Maybe he should try to avoid asking the wrong question. “Do you regret getting those scars?”

Wait. Shit. That came out wrong. What had he even been trying to say?

“No,” Hyunjae said. Eric’s gaze shot to him in shock. “And I’d do it again, too.”

“Why— I mean… why’d they do it to you?”

“Because I loved someone I wasn’t supposed to,” Hyunjae said simply. 

Eric swallowed. He wasn’t sure what Hyunjae’s situation had been, but… that might be his near future if anyone found out about him and Sunwoo.

There was no way he’d let anyone know. He had to keep it a secret. No one would find out. _No one._

God, but if only they could. What he would give to hold hands with Sunwoo in front of his parents, kiss him in front of his friends. For the limited time they’d get together, that would be impossible.

“I’m sorry,” Eric said softly. “Those don’t look recent, though. How long ago was it?”

“A long time ago.” 

Well, that explained why Hyunjae never wanted to change in front of them. Why he sometimes moved stiffly and insisted on having his own room. 

“Do they hurt?”

“Every day. That’s the point. Fae whips are supposed to keep their pain in you as a permanent reminder of your mistake.”

“But you didn’t make a mistake,” Eric protested. “Who made that decision? Why were they allowed to hurt you like that?”

“I told you. I loved someone I wasn’t supposed to.” Hyunjae seemed to have reached the end of his opening up time. 

Eric backed away. “Okay. Um, is that all?”

“Hm?” Hyunjae glanced back up at him. “Oh, yeah. You can go. Just keep in mind what I said, okay?”

“Okay.” Should he try to ask Sunwoo about what he’d learned? No, maybe he wouldn’t know. Then again, he was pretty old. He might have heard something about what happened somewhere along the grapevine.

Eric’s head was lost in thoughts as he made his way home. Maybe he could try asking someone from Sunwoo’s clan. 

Eric wandered up the stairs of his house, narrowly avoiding confrontation with his parents. 

He missed Sunwoo.

Something tapped at his window as Eric sat down at his desk. He jumped and nearly fell to the ground as he rushed to open it.

“What are you doing?” He hissed, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his parents weren’t walking by. 

“I wanted to see you,” Sunwoo pouted.

“You can’t, I’m sorry.” Eric’s heart ached. 

“Then come over to my place.”

Eric’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

“Yeah! I’ve got my own room now. Just sneak out.”

“My parents are downstairs, Sunny.”

“Then come out the window.” Sunwoo was perched on a narrow ledge outside Eric’s window, but after that was a straight drop two stories to the ground.

“Um,” Eric said in response. Sunwoo took one hand off the windowsill to hold it out to Eric. 

“I’ll carry you,” he offered. 

Eric’s worries about impending death flew out the window.

“Okay.”

Eric swung his legs over the windowsill, keeping his upper half safely in his room while he eyed the ground dubiously. Was he really about to risk it all for Sunwoo’s gorgeously muscular arms around him? Yes. Yes he was. 

Sunwoo slide the window up as high as it would go. “I have to let go with both hands to grab you,” he said. “So I have to adjust my grip on you in midair.”

Eric gulped. “Whatever— um— works best.” He glanced over his shoulder to double check that his parents wouldn’t see him escaping out his window like Harry Potter in the second book.

Sunwoo’s free arm wrapped securely around his waist. Eric took a breath and let his body slide out the window. Sunwoo quickly let go of the window with his other hand to scoop Eric up bridal style. Then they were falling.

Sunwoo landed gracefully with a slight bend of the knees. Eric squirmed out of his arms not so gracefully to roll around on the ground in relief. “I survived!” He yelped.

Sunwoo grabbed his hand as they ran through the city, leaving the tall skyscrapers behind as they neared the outskirts of the city. “This is where Juyeon’s place is,” Eric realized.

“I know. We’re staying with him.”

“Really?” Eric asked in surprise. “Where?”

“He’s got a massive studio apartment above the shop. He must have booming business to afford that,” Sunwoo quipped.

Eric thought of Hyunjae buying out half the store the last time they were there. “Yeah, must be.”

“We’ll have to be quiet, though. No one but Kevin knows about us. I’ll tell him what’s going on so he can distract them. Wait here.” Sunwoo vanished into the apartment, leaving Eric to loiter at the top of the stairs. Sunwoo had made no effort to hide their clasped hands as they passed Juyeon in the shop below, he noted. 

Not like there was a point to it, though. Juyeon seemed to know that Eric and Sunwoo were fated as it was. That they were mates. But were they? How could they be sure? Juyeon had someone that he thought was his mate, but they ended up with someone else. How did Juyeon know for sure that Eric and Sunwoo were meant for each other?

….Did it have something to do with Hyunjae’s secret? Those two were tied together somehow, he knew it.

Sunwoo’s head poked around the door. “Coast is clear,” he declared. “They’ll be out of the living room now, so we can sneak through.” He made a face. “Although it’s not ideal for us either.”

“Jesus, fuck on someone else’s couch!” Was the first thing Eric heard as he stepped foot in the apartment. 

“Um,” Eric said nervously.

“Kevin has a funny idea about what a distraction is,” Sunwoo explained.

The living room, as it turned out, was not vacant. There was someone— no, two someones taking it up. They were pretty much stacked on top of each other, it looked like. 

Kevin pressed Jacob into the cushions, keeping his face turned away as Sunwoo and Eric snuck past to the bedrooms. They were making out passionately but Kevin still had the awareness to shoot Sunwoo a thumbs up as they passed.

Okay, so it was nice to have _someone_ who knew. 

They took refuge in Sunwoo’s room, a small space with a large covered bed taking up most of the space. Sunwoo drew the canopy curtains around them and settled back against the cushions. 

It was a bit awkward to do anything similar to what Jacob and Kevin were doing while there were others in the house, so they decided to cuddle and watch a movie.

“You really like Disney,” Sunwoo observed. Eric nodded profusely. Sunwoo didn’t have any plushies, so Eric clung to his torso tightly instead. “Which one’s your favorite?”

“The Little Mermaid!” Eric cried eagerly. He snuggled under Sunwoo’s hoodie until his head popped up in the neckhole. 

“This hoodie was made for one,” Sunwoo protested weakly.

“Then why does it fit two?”

Sunwoo seemed to have no argument for that. He moved Eric around until the smaller boy was sitting in his lap, head stretching the hoodie’s neckhole way too wide, and with the rest of him settled against Sunwoo’s chest. Whatever. Worth it.

He pulled up the Little Mermaid, and, to Eric’s delight, immediately seemed to realize why it was Eric’s favorite movie. “Can’t believe they named him Eric,” Sunwoo grumbled. “Bastard prince doesn’t even look anything like you.”

He might not have meant to say it out loud, but Eric started to giggle against him. “You’d make the most handsome prince,” Eric told him sleepily. He could picture it. Sunwoo with a beautiful crown on his head, ruling over loyal subjects. The image seemed incredibly fitting.

When the movie finished, Sunwoo shoved his laptop away and fluffed up his pillows to make them as comfortable as possible. 

“Do you want me to stay the night?” Eric asked shyly.

“Yes,” Sunwoo blurted. “But not— unless you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” Eric assured him. “But I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“Alright,” Sunwoo relented. He laid back and let Eric curl up on top of him. “Why do you love Disney so much?”

Eric smiled. “Probably because of my parents,” he said, and then went in a totally different direction than Sunwoo probably expected. “You know they’re out a lot on business trips. That’s why I’m home alone so much. Well, that isn’t a new thing. They’ve been doing that since I was little. Like, _super_ little. They weren’t around for a lot of my life, and that’s probably why they don’t seem to… get me.” He fiddled with his hands anxiously, and Sunwoo threaded his fingers with his own. “But I always had Disney movies, and they’d let me escape from my little lonely world and go somewhere else. Somewhere magical.” Eric traced Sunwoo’s hands gently with the pads of his fingertips. “They were all I had. At least, until I met Hyunjae. Finally, I had someone who listened to me and believed in me. I had that for the past three years.” His eyes turned downcast. “Until it started to all go downhill.” Eric looked up at Sunwoo. “But I’m glad it did. Because I got to meet you.” He squeezed Sunwoo’s hand. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” And he meant it, too.

Sunwoo looked at a loss for words. “I’m really glad we bumped into each other,” Eric told him with a grin. “Best coincidence ever.”

Sunwoo only shook his head. “It wasn’t a coincidence. It was fate.”

Eric blinked. “Fate.” He closed his eyes against Sunwoo’s chest. “Yeah.”

They sat like that in silence for a few minutes, Sunwoo stroking Eric’s hair. If Eric closed his eyes, he could hear the beats of both his boyfriend’s hearts. Would one of them belong to him one day? 

His stomach clenched. Could he handle such a responsibility?

“You know where I want to go?” Eric said instead, forcing his mind away from his thoughts. “More than anywhere else in the world?”

“Where?” Sunwoo asked softly. 

“Disneyland,” Eric told him.

Sunwoo’s brow furrowed. “What’s that?”

“It’s like Disney movies brought to life. It’s an amusement park, but….” Eric sighed. “It’s made out of magic.” 

Sunwoo probably thought he was full of shit. Faerie dust was magic. Disneyland was made out of money. But to Eric, the thought of a world full of magic, a place where he didn’t have to age, where he and Sunwoo could be young forever… that had a price no billionaire could pay.

“I’d love to go to Disneyland with you,” Sunwoo surprised him by saying.

“Really?” Eric tipped his head back.

“Really.” Sunwoo twined their fingers together and squeezed, a silent promise to keep his word. Eric couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Maybe he didn’t need Disneyland for magic, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobody:  
> me: *continuously uses the tag line from crash landing on you*  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> Thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	21. 21. Mate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some mild nsfw content this chapter(nothing too exciting, but sunwoo is very horny)  
> also tw for some gore, knives, blood

21\. Mate

“Not now, Sunwoo.”

Those were always the words his mother had for him.

“I’ve got a meeting sweetheart, why don’t you go play with your new friend?”

There was only so much freedom he had, but he would have traded it all just for his mom’s company for an afternoon. 

His dad never made an attempt. Sunwoo didn’t know where he went off to most of the time, but he was rarely at home. Mother never had anything nice to say about the man. Apparently, she had nothing nice to feel about him either, considering she’d hired Hwall to _assassinate him._

“That no good— We don’t need him, Sunwoo.” Mother would curl a hand around his tiny horns and smile reassuringly. “You’ll grow up big and strong without him, and it’ll be better this way.” But Sunwoo didn’t want to grow up without his dad. He would jump around the man’s legs, barely taller than his knee, whenever he came home, begging to be picked up. And he would face nothing but cold rejection. 

The servants, at least, tried to cheer him up. They treated him like an adorable little pet and spoiled him beyond imagination. His house wasn’t as homey as the one he always dreamed of having, together with his mate, someday. At least he’d gotten to meet the one person who truly treated him with the parental love he so desperately needed.

“Hey there, Kevin,” Sunwoo began with a nervous grin. “What’s up?”

The curly haired faerie looked up from his book and flicked his eyes over Sunwoo’s awkward stance in the threshold of his bedroom. “What’s… up?” Kevin repeated in response. 

“Can I, uh. Can I talk to you?” Sunwoo’s voice cracked under the weight of his stress.

“Sure, I—”

Sunwoo slammed the door closed and leaped onto the bed. Kevin leaned back, eyes wide, as Sunwoo grabbed his hands. “Um,” he said, unsure whether he had the strength to speak. 

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “What are you—”

“I think— I think I’m in love with Eric.”

Kevin sat there and blinked for several tense moments. “Oh,” he uttered.

“Oh?” Sunwoo exclaimed. “I’m— Kevin, what do I do?”

“Why are you asking me?” Kevin asked, flailing away from Sunwoo’s crushing grip on his dainty hands.

“You’re my wingman!” Sunwoo explained.

“I am no such thing—”

“You’re the only one who knows about us,” Sunwoo corrected. “I can’t talk to anyone else, and I’m confused as hell right now.”

“Confused about what?” Kevin shook his head. “You seem pretty adamant about your feelings for him, considering you had me help you sneak him in here. The power of boners is _strong_ in this one, man.”

Sunwoo ignored the lewd comment. He pushed all tempting images of Eric that Kevin’s remark had brought up out of mind. 

“I know I love him, but, like… being _in love_ is different. It’s scarier. I just think… I know I said I don’t care about what we’ll face together, and I mean that, but I’m just wondering… if I should cut this off before it goes too far,” Sunwoo confessed.

Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Really.”

“I just— You don’t seem as alarmed as I thought you’d be,” Sunwoo admitted.

“Because I don’t think you’ll do that, but continue.”

“I don’t want him to get pulled into my life— it won’t end well for him. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Kevin sighed. “You’re scared of—”

“I don’t know exactly what happened to Sangyeon and his mate, but I’m sure whatever Eric will face will be worse.” Sunwoo clenched his fists on his knees and stared down at them until his knuckles turned white. 

“Well, which would you rather have? A smooth future at the cost of the love of your life, or having to fight tooth and nail to keep him?”

“I— I want to keep him no matter what,” Sunwoo said weakly. “But I don’t think—”

“Sunwoo, stop thinking selfishly for once.”

“Selfishly? I think I’m being the opposite of selfish—”

“You’re really not. Take it from someone who’s shared his life with his mate for 200 years. Think about what Eric would want. Would he be okay with you cutting him out because you’re scared for his safety?”

Sunwoo scratched his head. “Uh… yeah, no.” 

“Exactly.”

“He’d say he wants to be with me no matter what— but he doesn’t know what might happen to him!”

“Maybe he doesn’t care,” Kevin reasoned.

Sunwoo blinked. “What?”

“I know if I had to go through what Eric will with Jacob, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to endure anything that was thrown my way. And believe me, I’ve had to endure a lot.”

Sunwoo frowned. He didn’t know much about Kevin’s background, and he’d known him for longer than he’d known any of the other clan members.

“Honestly, I don’t even think you could survive a single day without him,” Kevin remarked, leaning back against his pillows. “It’s obnoxious how obsessed you are.”

Sunwoo flushed. “I’m— I’m _sure_ he’s my mate.”

“I’m sure he is,” Kevin agreed. “Who else could be with the way you’re acting? You probably get hard just thinking about him.”

“Sh— shut up!” Sunwoo wacked him with a pillow while Kevin cackled. Sure, taking things further with Eric had been brushing his mind lately. It was all he could think about every time Eric’s shirt would ride up slightly, and he caught a glimpse of the soft, smooth skin underneath. He longed to run his hands over every inch of that skin, explore it with his lips and tongue and teeth. To leave lasting marks on Eric’s body declaring that the human belonged to _him._ That Eric was Sunwoo’s, and only he could touch him. 

“You still with me?” 

Sunwoo was jerked out of his private thoughts as Kevin snapped in front of his face. 

“Jeez, sorry if I interrupted something,” Kevin teased. “Didn’t think you’d be affected _that_ easily.”

“Sorry.” Sunwoo scratched his head. “We haven’t done anything like that yet.”

“Ah. You’re horny.”

“What? No!” Sunwoo spluttered. “I’m fine with waiting for as long as Eric wants. I’m not impatient about it or anything.”

“Sure.” Kevin’s eyes glittered in amusement. “Sure….”

“What is your deal?” Sunwoo whined. 

“You wanna dick him down _so bad….”_

“Maybe I do, what’s it to you?” Sunwoo sniffed. 

“Hah!” Kevin clapped in victory. “Go forth and be plentiful, my boy.”

“What the _fuck?”_

“Sorry. I mean like, go get some.”

“Thanks. You were a great help.” Sunwoo rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. Hopefully Eric had texted him while Kevin had him prisoner and he could escape.

_hey wanna come over :-D_

Sunwoo smiled and began to type out a response.

_my parents arent home ;-)_

It was ridiculous how quickly Sunwoo managed to scramble out of the room, shove on shoes, and fly out of the house.

God, Kevin was right. He was so fucking horny and it was pathetic. Eric just wanted to cuddle and watch a movie and that was _fine._ He was _fine_ with that. 

Was he a creep, or was this a fae thing? Was he inappropriately extremely attracted to his boyfriend or was it just his genes?

Sunwoo had forgotten to slow his speed to a normal rate, and it took him less than a minute to cross the whole city and end up outside Eric’s house. The power of boners, presumably. 

Eric peeked around the door a moment later. “Hi,” he said shyly. Since when was Eric shy?

“Hi,” Sunwoo said, stepping inside.

“Sorry if I sounded… provocative,” Eric smiled in embarrassment.

“Oh.” Sunwoo blinked. “No problem.” His eyes flicked over Eric’s outfit. He was wearing a tanktop— Sunwoo had to tear his eyes away from those _arms, what the fuck—_ and low hanging sweatpants. Sunwoo bit his lip to keep his eyes from travelling further. 

“Um,” Eric’s voice directed Sunwoo’s gaze back up to his face. The human shifted his feet awkwardly. 

_Great job asshole, you made him uncomfortable with all that gawking,_ Sunwoo thought savagely.

“What do you wanna do?” Eric ventured. 

You, Sunwoo almost blurted out.

“Uh.” His voice came out strangled. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Whatever you wanna do.”

“Right.” Eric nodded. “Sorry.”

“Hm?” Sunwoo took a step closer, trying to diminish the awkward atmosphere by sliding an arm around Eric’s waist and tugging him closer. “What for?”

Eric blushed as he was led upstairs to his room. “I don’t know, I just feel like I’m boring.”

Sunwoo choked in surprise. “Boring? You?” He couldn’t wrap his head around it. “How?”

Eric giggled. “Okay, I guess you don’t think so.” He flopped down on his bed and wrapped his arms around his unicorn plushie. “That’s a relief.”

“I just— in what world are you _boring?”_ Sunwoo continued. “You’re the most interesting person I know. You’re _incredible._ You’re intelligent and clever and knowledgeable, to start, which I _love—”_ Eric squirmed and buried his face in his plushie. “—and hilarious, and cute and dorky and cuddly—”

“Okay, I get it,” Eric interrupted fondly. “But I feel like we don’t do a lot of interesting things.”

_Be glad our lives aren’t interesting yet,_ Sunwoo thought, his stomach doing a flip.

“I don’t mind,” he said instead. “Nothing’s boring if it’s with you.”

Eric kicked his feet in joy. “Okay,” he said, failing at hiding his delight. “I’m gonna take a shower, if you don’t mind.” 

“Okay,” Sunwoo blurted before he could say something stupid like, _Can I come?_

It was pretty late, so it made sense Eric would want to shower and get ready for bed. Jeez, what the fuck else had he been expecting?

Eric left the room and a few minutes later he could hear the sound of running water drifting through the walls. Hot water, streaming down Eric’s shoulders and back, slicking his hair out of his face and dripping off his body—

Sunwoo slapped a hand over his face. He seriously needed to get a grip. 

What the hell was wrong with him? If Eric just wanted to spend some time together, he didn’t care what they did or didn’t do. Sunwoo would love to just hold Eric in his arms until he fell asleep. 

“Hey.”

“Short shower,” Sunwoo remarked from his current position, lying on his back on Eric’s bed. He sat up and lost all ability of speech.

Eric’s hair was wet and slicked back, his skin shining. And there was so much skin. 

He’d put his tank top back on, but it didn’t do much to cover the fact that he was only wearing boxers underneath. 

Sunwoo made a pathetically strangled noise.

Eric smirked— the _nerve—_ and went about sorting and folding his clothes. He glanced up at Sunwoo’s shell shocked gaze. “What?” He asked innocently. 

“Come here,” Sunwoo almost growled. 

Eric dropped the clothes on the floor— something he _never_ did— and was looming over Sunwoo in bed a second later. He crawled forward until his knees straddled Sunwoo’s hips.

“Hi,” Eric breathed, leaning forward until their noses brushed. 

“Hey,” Sunwoo responded with a hand reaching down to grip Eric’s thighs. “You’re hot.”

Eric had no time to respond. Sunwoo gripped Eric’s hair with his free hand and connected their lips with a surging passion.

It was hotter and burned with more fire than any time before. Sunwoo felt every want and need and desire within him bubbling up to the surface. 

He parted Eric’s lips, letting his tongue slip inside with no moment to spare. Eric whined against him, tiny moans that made Sunwoo twitch with impatience and desperation.

He let his hands drift to Eric’s hips and pulled him down until they were rubbing against each other, their mouths still working in tandem. The spark of friction it generated made Sunwoo’s breath hitch, and he bucked his hips up higher. Eric gasped, and Sunwoo took the opportunity to grip his hips and flip their positions.

With Eric beneath him, Sunwoo propped his forearms above Eric’s shoulders and grinded against him, relishing in Eric’s grip on his hair tightening with every second. He kissed down Eric’s throat and made his way back up to his lips, parted and gasping for breath.

He slid his arms around Eric and moved them so he could hold him without pushing all his weight down. Their lips never disconnecting, Sunwoo’s arms tightened until there wasn’t a sliver of space between them. His hands roamed everywhere, gripping Eric’s thighs before sliding up to cup the curve of his ass, slipping under his shirt and feeling up the untouched skin there.

“Oh—” Eric’s hand caught Sunwoo’s wrist as it tried to slip beneath the waistband of his boxers. “No thank you.”

It took Sunwoo a second to understand what he was trying to say. “Oh— shit, I’m sorry.” Sunwoo pulled his hands away and scooted back. 

“I’m sorry,” Eric tried.

“No, no, thank you for telling me— um, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable—”

“No, it’s okay,” Eric insisted. “It wasn’t you, promise.” He looked down at his hands. Sunwoo reached out to twine their fingers together and waited for him to continue. “I just— I guess I’m still getting used to this. To you being… _attracted_ to me.” Eric hugged himself with the hand not holding Sunwoo’s. “I feel really safe with you. I promise it wasn’t anything you did. I really do want to be with you. I guess I just panicked. I’ve never done anything like this before.” Sunwoo scooted closer and Eric tucked his head onto his shoulder. “I don’t really understand how you can look at me and want to do… that kinda stuff with me,” Eric finished.

“Cause you’re sexy,” Sunwoo said bluntly.

“I am?” Eric looked up in surprise.

“Very.” Sunwoo wrapped his arms around Eric and pulled him into his lap. He kissed Eric’s forehead, all sexual desires replaced with those of protectiveness. “I am extremely attracted to you and you should get used to that.”

Eric smiled. “Okay.”

Eric’s honesty with him tugged at Sunwoo’s heartstrings. 

Heart. His heart.

I’m sure he’s my mate.

In that moment, Sunwoo wanted nothing more than to wake up beside Eric every day for the next fifty years, no matter what he looked like. Consequences be damned, the blonde boy in his lap was more important.

“I have something to give you, actually,” Sunwoo confessed before he could chicken out. Eric brightened.

“Really? A present?” He beamed up at Sunwoo. 

“Kind of.” 

Eric frowned as Sunwoo gently slid him off his lap. “Could you turn around?” Sunwoo asked nervously. 

“Sure.” Eric hopped off the bed and stood facing the other way.

Sunwoo dug around in his bag. He was _sure_ he had one on him…. Ah. There it was.

He pulled out the thin knife and turned it over in his hand. The blade was short but sharp. Yeah, it would do the trick.

He really should have asked Kevin for tips on how exactly to do this, he mused as he focused on moving his second heart around within his body. Ripping out the heart seemed too messy, so he figured a neat incision would be best. One in the leg, far away from any vital organs. 

Once his second heart had been transferred to his upper thigh, muscles and tendons rearranging themselves to accommodate it, Sunwoo took a deep breath. “Make sure you don’t look, okay?” 

“That makes it tempting to look, though,” Eric said, pout audible.

“I know, but I don’t want you to see this.”

Sunwoo carefully lowered the knife to his skin. He placed it just above the top of his heart and began to slide it down, careful not to cut too deep. 

Eric’s shriek made him jolt and almost drop the knife. “What the fuck?” He hissed. 

“Sunwoo, what are you doing? You’re hurting yourself!” Eric darted forward and tried to grab Sunwoo’s arm. “Whatever it is, I promise it’s not worth it, I don’t want it—”

“Would you stop?” Sunwoo pleaded. “You’re making it harder.”

“Oh.” Eric plopped down on the floor. “You don’t look like you’re in pain.”

“That’s the nerves,” Sunwoo muttered as he sliced more of his leg open.

“Nerves? What for?” Eric asked, watching more in morbid curiosity as Sunwoo split open a window of his skin to pull his heart out.

“Look away, please,” Sunwoo begged, and thankfully Eric turned away.

The heart came out much more easily than he imagined. Rather than having to hack away at veins and blood vessels, the heart disconnected all on its own, as if it knew it was time to separate. As if it was ready to join its new owner. 

It was really bleeding a lot, though. “Eric,” Sunwoo began. “No, don’t turn around! Can you just get me a towel?”

“Uh, sure.” Eric left without turning around and came back in, throwing the towel at Sunwoo without looking.

“Thanks.” Sunwoo dried off the heart and was able to make it look nicer. He tossed the bloody towel on the floor and cupped his heart in his hands. Well, too late to back out now. “Okay, um,” was all that left his mouth before Eric practically pounced on him.

“What is— ah, holy shit!” Eric fell back on the floor again, staring wide eyed at the still beating organ clutched in Sunwoo’s fist.

“Um,” Sunwoo said again. “This is my heart.” _Yeah no shit—_

“Oh, wow,” Eric breathed. 

“I’d… like to give it to you.” Sunwoo looked down at the heart to see what it thought. The deep red color seemed to shift to magenta. That meant… good, right?

“Oh,” Eric whispered. “Like….” 

Eric studied fae. He knew what this meant.

“You’re my mate, Eric,” Sunwoo said with finality. “I want you to have my heart.”

“Oh,” Eric said for the third time. “Oh, cool.”

Sunwoo blinked. “What?”

“Sorry! Sorry, it’s just— I’ve never held a heart and had it not turn dark for me.” Eric leaned forward on his knees. “So it’s really cool but I’m also scared.”

“It won’t turn dark for you,” Sunwoo promised. He placed the heart in Eric’s outstretched hands.

Before his eyes, the heart lightened until it was a cheerful blush pink, the same as Kevin’s had been when it was returned to Jacob. 

Eric’s eyes went wide as the heart’s beating sped up, matching the one still pounding in Sunwoo’s chest. “Weird,” Sunwoo whispered.

“Hm?” Eric looked up from where he’d become entranced with the heart. 

“I can— kinda feel you holding it,” Sunwoo confessed. “It just feels like— someone’s hugging my heart, I guess.”

Eric suddenly cradled the heart in his arms, holding it close to his own. Sunwoo felt warmth spread through his chest, a soft blanket filling him with serenity. He smiled and Eric grinned bashfully.

“So you accept it, then?” Sunwoo asked nervously.

“Huh?”

“You— you’ll be my mate?” He shifted to the edge of Eric’s bed.

Eric’s face twisted in confusion. “I mean, do I have a choice? Weren’t we destined for each other from birth or something?”

Sunwoo’s stomach twisted in panic. He was already feeling dizzy from having to adjust to one heart, but this made it worse. “I mean— yes, but you don’t have to….” He trailed off uncertainly. Eric rejecting him hadn’t been something he’d seen as likely.

“Well, of course I want to,” Eric rushed. “I just don’t really know the details of how this works. Not everything’s in the books I’ve read.”

“Ah.” Sunwoo’s shoulders slumped in relief. “You scared me.”

Eric blinked owlishly. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He smiled down at Sunwoo’s heart, and then lifted it to his face to peck a kiss onto the beating organ. 

Sunwoo yelped as he felt the kiss in the form of his still-attached heart squeezing in joy. “Why— did you just—”

“Sorry,” Eric grinned. “Just felt like it.”

Sunwoo smiled fondly at him. “You really like keeping me on my toes.”

“Well, I think that should be my job.” Eric moved forward to rub their noses together, and pressed another kiss, this time on his lips. “As your mate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're officially mates now! but what is it that sunwoo's so worried about...?  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	22. 22. The Weight of Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cute fluff is fun but it cant last forever :-(((

22\. The Weight of Trust

Eric woke up before his alarm.

_That’s a first,_ he thought groggily, hand groping for his phone to check the time. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t woken up to the blaring siren. 

His hand grasped for his phone and found an arm instead. A delightfully muscular arm. Eric’s eyes flew open.

“Morning,” Sunwoo mumbled with a yawn. Eric’s stomach flipflopped. Fucking adorable. He wanted to scream.

“Morning,” he squeaked in response. 

Sunwoo reached forward to tangle his fingers in Eric’s hair. “What time do you need to be up for school?”

_Never,_ Eric wanted to say. _School? What’s that? All I have to do is lie here in bed with you forever._

“U-um,” he stammered, because it was hard to think with Sunwoo’s thumb tracing over his cheek and those deep, intense eyes staring into his soul. “What time is it?”

Thankfully, Sunwoo gave him room to breathe and rolled over to check his phone. “Gross. 7:30.”

“Ugh.” Eric buried his face in his pillow. “Five minutes.”

“That’s five more minutes to cuddle.” Sunwoo tugged him back until he could feel the bare planes of Sunwoo’s chest. 

Wait.

Sunwoo was shirtless.

Holy shit— there was a shirtless boy in his bed. He, Eric Sohn, bully-declared fae nerd, had a _hot, shirtless boy in his bed._

Suck on that, preppy jerks. 

Eric wiggled around to push his nose into Sunwoo’s warm skin. “Cold,” he lied, because he knew it would make Sunwoo hold him tighter.

“You’re warm,” Sunwoo observed.

“That’s funny.”

Sunwoo’s fingers played with the hem of Eric’s tank top, making his heart speed up and blood rush to his face. God, why was he so easily flustered?

Eric’s eyes drifted over Sunwoo’s gorgeously tan shoulder to where his heart lay on Eric’s desk. What was he going to do with that?

Not a moment later, an excruciatingly loud shriek pierced the air. Sunwoo clapped his hands over his ears. “What the fuck is that?” The faerie complained, kicking off the blankets.

“Alarm,” Eric responded sleepily.

“Kill it! Now!”

Eric switched his phone open and the alarm stopped. “You must have a really hard time waking up,” Sunwoo hissed, slowly bringing his arms back down.

Eric grinned sheepishly. “Guilty.”

“You didn’t have any problem this morning,” Sunwoo observed as Eric tugged clothes out of his neatly folded drawers.

Eric paused. How could he describe the feeling he got from sleeping next to Sunwoo? That wrapped in his arms he felt warmer and safer than anywhere he’d ever been, that he felt a sense of _home_ far stronger than anything he’d ever known?

Eric turned away as he tugged his shirt over his head and reached for a striped sweater. He yelped as Sunwoo grabbed him around the waist and tugged him back to bed. He ended up in his mate’s lap as Sunwoo traced his fingers, then his lips, over the marks still visible on Eric’s neck and shoulders from last night.

“What do you call these?” Sunwoo asked softly.

“Huh?” Eric twisted to try and see his own shoulder. “You mean hickeys?”

Sunwoo snorted. “What the hell does that mean?” He gazed down at his markings fondly. “We call them claim marks.”

Eric blinked. “That sounds like some wolf pack furry shit.”

Sunwoo’s brow furrowed. “Some what?”

“Nevermind….”

Sunwoo pushed him lightly towards the clean clothes he’d pulled out. “They mean you’re mine. To any faerie you’ll smell like me.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Eric worried as he tugged on a pair of ripped jeans. Sunwoo began to lazily reach for his own clothes.

“Nah. It’s like protection, kinda. It’s only dangerous if I smell like human.” Sunwoo paused to sniff himself. “Which I probably do.”

Eric’s face flushed. Sunwoo… smelling like him….

“You need to eat breakfast, right?” Oh. Sunwoo was dressed already. Eric felt disappointment at seeing his beautiful skin covered up again.

“Probably.”

“You told me it’s the most important meal of the day, didn’t you?” Sunwoo teased. He scooped Eric up in his arms bridal style and carried him down the stairs. If Eric’s face was pink before, he was a fire hydrant now. 

Sunwoo dumped him at the bottom of the stairs and strode into the kitchen. Eric scrambled to the fridge. “I can make rasujebi,” Eric volunteered.

Sunwoo frowned. “What’s that?”

“My favorite food!” Eric explained. 

“Oh! I want some,” Sunwoo demanded. 

Eric beamed. Sunwoo made them tea while he pulled out the ingredients. He turned to accept the steaming mug from Sunwoo’s hand, the faerie smiling down at him in the filtered light streaming through the kitchen window. It was painfully domestic, and it made Eric’s heart ache. 

Who knew how long he’d get to enjoy moments like these.

After breakfast Sunwoo kissed him for longer than necessary, Eric’s heart blooming with the overabundance of love. It certainly felt like more than he’d gotten in his entire lifespan. 

Eric trotted back up to his room to grab his backpack. The heart resting on his desk caught his eye. What to do….

He didn’t really like the idea of locking it away somewhere he might forget about it. Out of sight, out of mind, but he didn’t want Sunwoo’s heart out of mind. If only there was some way to let him cuddle it to sleep, without crushing it, while keeping it safe. 

His eyes landed on the unicorn plushie on his bed. Well, he could try….

10 minutes of painfully cautious cutting and stitching later, a heart sized amount of fluff had been removed from the unicorn plushie and the heart had been sewn in in its stead.

He was definitely going to be late for class.

Satisfied with his plan, Eric left his house and sprinted to school. He collided with Wyatt in the hall on the way to first period.

“Eric! Glad you made it.” Wyatt shot him a grin. “Figured you’d be helpful today.”

“Uh….” With Sunwoo as his boyfriend, now mate, school schedules had been at the back of his mind. “What’s today, again?”

“Dissection day,” Wyatt reminded him as they took their seats as lab partners. “You should have experience with cutting things up as a hunter, right?”

Eric didn’t know how to tell him the only thing he’d ever cut up was his own stuffed animal that morning.

“Whew, just in time,” Wyatt sighed as their teacher took his place at the front of the class.

“Glad to see everyone’s here,” the teacher said. “You’ll be working in partners to pick apart the faerie hearts, so one person will be doing the hands on work while another takes notes….”

Eric’s mind focused five seconds too late. _What_ had she said? _Faerie hearts?_

They can’t possibly be real ones, he assured himself. What kind of faerie donates their heart to high school science?

Their teacher rolled a cart into the center of the classroom. Each pair’s bin had an unbeating heart inside. Eric gulped. 

Apparently, not a living one. 

But fae hearts shriveled once they were stabbed, so how were these preserved?

Frog legs could preserve them, but only while alive. 

“We acquired these from a bounty hunter who used a fae technique to preserve the hearts after their owners’ deaths. Don’t worry, you won’t be hurting any faeries with this.” The class laughed, as if accidentally killing a faerie was as unfortunate as squishing out a spider.

“Uh,” Eric said nervously. Wyatt slid a bin towards him. 

“You wanna do the dissecting, I take notes?” Wyatt proposed. “You probably know what you’re doing a lot more.”

Eric stared down at the heart below him. It looked frozen, the surface colored deep purple. He reached forward to place his hand on it. It felt… sad. He wondered how long it had been separated from its mate.

“Eric?” Wyatt prompted when Eric continued to simply stare at the heart. “You okay?”

The same color Felix’s heart had been when they’d stolen it from Changbin. The same color Kevin’s had been when they broke into his apartment and took it from Jacob. So much deeper and lonelier than the blush pink of Sunwoo’s heart. It had retained it’s cheerful glow even when it was left on his desk overnight. Just picking it up this morning had made it beat faster in his hands. The feeling was sensational. To have that much power over someone in your hands. To feel, to _hold,_ the weight of their trust in you. 

“I can do it if you don’t want to,” Wyatt said uncertainly. The pair next to them was watching them now.

Eric slowly took his hand off the heart. No, this felt… wrong. It felt like an abuse of trust. These hearts had been given to their mates in an expression of love. They had never given permission to be cut apart as an experiment.

His hand shot into the air. The teacher turned to him in surprise. “Eric!” The rest of the class looked up when he was called on. “I’m sure as our resident hunter you’ll have something important to add to the discussion?”

Eric licked his lips nervously. “Whose hearts are these?” He asked.

The teacher stopped. “I’m… sorry?”

“I mean,” Eric continued, heart pounding in his ears, acutely aware of everyone’s eyes on him. “Did these faeries say you could use their hearts? Did they say it was okay?”

“Well…. I assume they died long before these hearts were given to us—”

“Then why were they frozen in the first place? Why were they taken from their mates instead of buried with them?” Eric was still sitting, but the conviction in his tone had his teacher stepping back nervously. 

“Well, I don’t know—”

“Then why did you take them?” Eric shot to his feet. “These hearts were taken unlawfully, and you should be ashamed as an educator for engaging in such a deal!”

The teacher blinked. “I’ll… speak with the superintendent.”

Eric turned to face the class. “These hearts are going to be buried, properly, and none of you are going to make so much as a tiny incision in them.” He didn’t need to tack a threat onto it. The whole class nodded furiously. 

“That was… something,” Wyatt muttered as Eric sat down. “Not very hunter-like.”

“I’m not a hunter.”

Wyatt blinked. “Aren’t… you?”

“Not anymore.” Eric stared out the window until the class came to an end. 

“Well, are you hungry right now?”

“I’m always hungry.”

Eric cackled into the phone. “Why don’t we get some barbecue then? My treat. I’ve got something I want to tell you.”

“Oh? Is it that I’m your favorite person in the whole wide world?”

“Um… no. But it’s kinda… it’s kinda serious, I guess? I just— I’d rather tell you in person.”

“No problem, man! I’ll see you in a bit.”

Eric signed and threw his phone onto the bed. He hoped this was a good idea. It probably wasn’t— telling anyone was a bad idea, really— but it was killing him to keep it locked inside. Sunwoo got to tell Kevin all about their secret life together. But Eric didn’t have anyone. 

Haknyeon was already sitting at a booth when Eric slouched into the BBQ restaurant. The hunter gave him a cheerful wave and stood when Eric approached. He was greeted with a crushing hug. 

Eric grinned. They ordered more meat than the two of them could possibly eat, and as he watched Haknyeon scarf down enough portions for three of him, Eric contemplated how to begin.

“Sho— wa didju wanna tell me?” 

Eric snorted at Haknyeon’s attempt to speak around a full mouth. “Um,” he started uncertainly.

“Take your time,” Haknyeon chimed in.

Eric smiled. “Thanks.”

“Course, kiddo.” Haknyeon watched him with serious eyes for a moment. “I won’t tell anyone, whatever it is.” He paused, glass of water halfway to his lips. “We all know you like dudes already, though.”

Eric rolled his eyes. “No, it’s not that.”

“Oh, good. Because I was worried about what you consider a secret between us.”

Eric sighed. Best to just spit it out, then. “I have a boyfriend.”

Haknyeon choked. “What?” He slammed his glass down. “Who? Do I know him? Do I need to threaten him? I am not above threatening a child, you know.”

_Pretty sure he’s 5 times your age,_ Eric thought in amusement. 

“You don’t know him,” Eric said. “Well, maybe. You’ve probably seen him. Remember when we went to the fae club? He was there.”

“Ah. Was he.” Haknyeon scratched his head in confusion.

“And when we went to the woodland hideout in the forest? He was there too.” 

Haknyeon squinted at him. “You’ve lost me.”

“Have I?” Eric countered.

“There weren’t any humans there except us, Ric.”

“He’s not human.”

Haknyeon blinked for several more seconds. “Oh,” he said finally. _“Oh._ You’re dating a— he’s—”

“Yeah.” Eric stared down at his cooling barbecue. “I’m dating a faerie.”

“One of the woodland faeries we were tracking,” Haknyeon realized. “Is that how you met him?”

“Um… kind of. More of a coincidence than that, though.” Except it wasn’t a coincidence, was it? It was always meant to be. 

“Jeez, I’m sorry I tried to kill him then. Hold on— he’s the one you tried to protect from Hyunjae, isn’t he? Kinda forgot about that... I mean, cause we were all so worried about them having kidnapped you.”

“They didn’t kidnap me!” Eric protested. “I was treated very nicely.” 

“Really?” Haknyeon frowned. “Then what does Hyunjae want to hunt them down so badly for?”

“You don’t know?” Eric asked, puzzled.

“Well, no. Do you?”

“No.” 

They stared at each other. 

“We really just—”

“Complete blind faith—”

Haknyeon laughed to himself as he tossed more meat on the grill between them. “Damn. That says something. He really had us all devoted to him without even knowing why. Kinda feel bad now.” He levelled his gaze at Eric. “How are you going to deal with being a hunter if you’re dating a fae?”

“I’m done with being a hunter,” Eric told him. “I’m not going to do anything like that anymore.”

Haknyeon froze. “Really?” His voice was soft. “So… you’re done with us?”

“No!” Eric shook his head. “I mean…. You said you feel bad. How are you going to deal with being a hunter? You’re trying to kill my boyfriend.”

“Don’t put it like that,” Haknyeon groaned.

“Why not?”

“Hyunjae has his reasons—”

“That he won’t even tell you?”

“Eric.” Haknyeon’s eyes flashed. “What are you doing?”

Eric swallowed.

“Are you trying to turn me against Hyunjae or something?” 

Eric suddenly became aware of the large meat scissors in Haknyeon’s hand.

“Maybe,” he admitted.

“Because… that’s not fair, Eric. You can’t ask me to choose sides.”

“It’s not about choosing sides,” Eric protested. “It’s about not killing people.”

“It’s not that simple—”

“Yes, it is! Or, it can be!” Eric put his head in his hands. “What’s so hard about seeing that faeries are people? People who’ve done nothing wrong?”

“Faeries have done plenty wrong, Eric,” Haknyeon corrected, voice cold.

“More wrong than humans?” Eric countered. “Enough wrong to constitute the killing of hundreds of innocents? Not just by us. By every hunter out there. The very concept of hunters is barbaric. It implies they’re worth no more than animals.” 

Haknyeon raised his eyebrows. “This boy has changed you.”

“Yes, he has,” Eric said proudly. “And I love him for that.”

Haknyeon seemed to have no answer. 

“I’m done with hunting, but I’m not done with you.” Eric stood, all promises of paying for the meal forgotten. “So if you have a change of heart, let me know. Because _I_ understand that people can grow.” 

He left the restaurant, leaving Haknyeon with two extra portions of barbecue pork on his plate and a stunned expression on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so eric tells haknyeon... but it doesnt go as well as he hoped. what does that mean for sunric ??  
> brace yourselves for next week... it'll hit... hard ;-)  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	23. 23. Devastating Perfection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter contains some nsfw content. always practice safe sex, kiddos!

23\. Devastating Perfection

Sunwoo hesitated outside the door. What was so hard about knocking, anyway? It wasn’t _too_ weird of a question. He could just say he was reading and thought of an interesting… situation, maybe. A very interesting situation that led to an even more curious question. 

“Has anyone— oh, hey, Sunwoo.” Turns out, Sunwoo didn’t need to knock on Sangyeon’s door, because the clan leader had just opened it to find Sunwoo loitering awkwardly outside. “You need something?”

“Oh, haha, yeah….” Sunwoo scuffed his boots across the floor and averted his gaze. “Well, I was just reading some of Kevin’s books—”

“Seriously?”

Really? That wasn’t even the least believable part of his story….

“Yes, seriously. So, anyway, I was reading and like— well, it was about humans and fae and stuff, right?” Wow, so specific, much believable. “And so I started to get curious, like, would there— I mean, _is_ there— might there be, any way, to like, make a human become fae?” Sunwoo rushed through the words like he was running a marathon and left himself breathless. He waited with baited breath and watched for Sangyeon’s response.

Something dark seemed to pass over Sangyeon’s face for just a second before his expression twisted into a bemused smile. “A human becoming fae? Um, not likely.” He laughed. “I mean, the Fae Empress has that power. But she’s not exactly someone you can sit down for a cup of tea with. Even someone like you.” He gave Sunwoo a suspicious look. “Why?”

“Well, how would you even get her to do something like that?” Sunwoo asked with a forced laugh. 

Sangyeon frowned in contemplation. “From what I remember, the ceremony must be performed in the fae capital, where the Fae Empress resides. Before the Tree of Language, I think. And it can only be done if the human is on the brink between life and death.”

Sunwoo’s insides clenched. “The brink? What do you mean?”

“You know. If they’re really neither here, nor there, so it’s easier to grab their life force and alter it.”

“Right.” He couldn’t imagine Eric being anywhere near that point. He wouldn’t allow it. No, this wouldn’t be possible. He couldn’t do anything to Eric that would result in that.

But would Eric? Would he be willing to put himself in that situation? 

No, Sunwoo decided. It didn’t matter. Because he wouldn’t let that happen. 

He had the strong urge to see Eric again. Not just to see him, but to _feel_ him, to _touch_ him. Ever since he’d given away his heart… it’d been strange, adjusting to living with only one beating inside him. And it was terrifying knowing he’d given away such a part of him to someone else. But he trusted Eric. Trusted him more than anything else. It had sealed their mating bond. 

Well, almost. They hadn’t _totally_ completed everything yet. He’d tried. Hell, he’d wanted to _so bad._ It had been almost impossible to keep himself from straight up ripping all of Eric’s clothes off the second they set foot in his bedroom. But he would wait. He’d wait, because Eric wanted to wait, and that was _fine._ It was _totally fine._

Sunwoo’s feet carried him away from Juyeon’s apartment and into the city, towards Eric’s house. It’d been only a few days since they’d seen each other, but it felt like forever. It felt like he was drowning, the longer he stayed away.

He’d tucked a small vial of faerie dust into his bag, although he figured he wouldn’t need much else. He wasn’t sure if Eric’s parents were home or not, so he decided to take the romantic route and snuck in through the window.

Sunwoo scaled the two story wall with ease and popped his head into the window he’d opened with one hand. The other supported his body weight on the narrow ledge. 

The light in Eric’s room was on, but the boy himself was nowhere to be seen. Huh. Sunwoo pulled himself through the window and sat down at the desk. Might as well wait, then. 

He looked up from his phone when the door opened, and for a moment he panicked, thinking it was Eric’s parents. In a way, it was worse. 

“Uh,” Sunwoo said.

Eric screamed.

Sunwoo flushed a deep red and looked away. “Hi?” 

Eric had just come out of the shower, his hair dripping wet, wrapped in nothing but a towel around his waist. It might have been from the water, but his hair looked much darker than usual.

“What are you—” Eric fanned himself with a hand and tried to hide himself behind a bundle of sweaters on his bed. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to see you,” Sunwoo said awkwardly.

“Well, you’re seeing me,” Eric told him. “Mind turning around for a sec?” 

“Yeah, no problem.” Why was his voice so high pitched and squeaky? Jeez, he saw Eric shirtless for ten seconds and he lost his mind. 

Sunwoo peeked over his shoulder. Damn, he’d already got pants on. How was he so fast?

Eric turned around, and Sunwoo went back to pretending he wasn’t looking out of the corner of his eye. Eric was _ripped._ Like, serious muscles happening in all the places Sunwoo was thrilled about. Duh, he was a hunter. But what had he been doing that resulted in _that?_

“Sorry.” Eric’s face was bright red. Instead of sitting on his bed like normal, he picked his way through the room to sit on Sunwoo’s lap at the desk. “I wasn’t really ready for a guest.”

“That’s— okay!” Sunwoo yelped, because he wasn’t prepared for Eric to smell so good so close to him while his thoughts still swirled with what he looked like under that shirt.

Saying Eric had put on _pants_ was rather generous, he realized. Boxer briefs and an oversized T-shirt hardly counted as clothing, especially when it would take so little time to get them off. Eric sitting on his lap was not helping with that train of thought.

Now that he was closer, Sunwoo could see that his hair was _definitely_ different. He’d dyed it a deep brown. Sunwoo swallowed and tried not to think about the way it was making his insides twist.

“Did you come for anything in particular?” Eric fiddled with his belt loops, dangerously close to his no-no region. Sunwoo gulped.

“Just— just you,” Sunwoo managed to get out.

“Just me?” Eric looked back up at him. Oh, right, because he’d been staring at Sunwoo’s fucking _crotch_ for the past thirty seconds. Jesus Christ. “That’s nice.”

Sunwoo felt frozen. What the fuck was he supposed to say to that?

“What do you want to do with me?”

Now, now that was _not_ fair. He did _not_ get to ask such a thing so innocently like that. 

“Um.” Sunwoo shook his head. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh.” Eric got up off his lap and went to sit on his bed instead. “What about?”

Well damn, why’d he have to go and say that? Sunwoo wanted to smack himself. 

“Um— mating,” Sunwoo said, scratching his head.

“Oh.” Eric perched on the edge of his bed, legs swinging. “Didn’t we do that already?” 

“Yeah, yeah— well, mostly.” Sunwoo pursed his lips before he rambled himself into a bottomless pit. “There are— there’s five, like, aspects to a mating ritual. Giving the heart is only a part of it. There’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, sexual—”

“What now?” Eric’s eyes were wide as twin full moons. 

“Uh, yeah.” Sunwoo hesitated. “So, like, we haven’t done… _everything_ yet.”

Eric blinked. “Do we actually _need_ to, like, fuck, to formally become mates?”

“Yeah, kind of.”

Eric folded his arms. “Then why do you keep avoiding my seduction?”

“I— huh?”

“Yeah! I came over and sat on your lap to feel you up and you got all flustered but didn’t do anything about it!” Eric huffed.

“Well, I— I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable!” Sunwoo tried.

“Oh, make _me_ uncomfortable. Like I’m not the one initiating it.” Eric rolled his eyes. “We’re here alone. It’s the perfect time. Why don’t you come over here and do me, then?”

Sunwoo choked at the sudden bluntness. “Well, it’s not—” Eric raised his eyebrows. “Not really… like… the ideal… _atmosphere.”_

“Atmosphere?” Eric stood up, grabbed Sunwoo by the front of his shirt, and shoved him towards the bed. “I’ll show you _atmosphere.”_

It suddenly felt too bright in the room. Sunwoo fumbled for the light switch, plunging them into darkness save for the light of the sunset illuminating the bed and the boy beneath him. 

He lunged down and connected their lips, devouring every inch of skin he could get his mouth on, sucking in his essence. Eric’s hands fumbled with his shirt. “Can— can I—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sunwoo leaned back to tug his shirt over his head. 

“Oh.” Eric blinked. “Okay. I can work with that.” He tugged Sunwoo back down. 

Eric’s nails dug into his shoulder blades as he felt himself growing tighter in his jeans. Fuck, he needed to get them off.

“Let me.” Eric’s hands brushed against him as he went to tug Sunwoo’s pants off, making an embarrassing grunt fall from Sunwoo’s lips. 

Eric’s shirt went next, a soft whine coming from the human’s throat at the loss of contact at his lips. But Sunwoo was back on him a moment later, letting him breathe through the burning fire of their kisses, sending oxygen directly to his soul.

Not too much later, Sunwoo found himself naked and staring down at Eric, a questioning look in his gaze. Eric was trying to direct his hand downwards, farther down than he’d allowed himself to touch yet. 

“Are— are you sure, we really don’t have to— if you’re not comfortable, it’s alright, I promise….”

Sunwoo trailed off. Eric didn’t look like he’d be accepting any suggestions today. Sunwoo swallowed. “Okay. Let me, let me just... let me get something, okay baby?”

The pet name slipped from his mouth accidentally, but Eric seemed to delight in it. He squirmed and smiled bashfully up at Sunwoo, the picture of devastating perfection.

_You’ll be the death of me,_ Sunwoo thought as he dug around in his bag. There it was— the vial of faerie dust. 

Eric watched him curiously as Sunwoo dipped his fingers into the vial. “Do you have—” Eric seemed to falter. “You know, like—” He gestured to Sunwoo’s bag. “Protection?”

Sunwoo frowned. “Against what?”

Eric blushed. “You know, like a condom.”

“What’s that?”

“Uh….” Eric fidgeted. “Faeries don’t have sexually transmitted diseases?”

Sunwoo barked a laugh. “Humans get diseases from this? Trust me, you won’t get anything from me.”

“Oh.” Eric relaxed. “Wow, okay.” He watched Sunwoo coat his fingers in the creamy substance the faerie dust had been mixed into. “What’s that?”

“Liquidated faerie dust,” Sunwoo explained, moving to sit between Eric’s legs again.

“Oh. What for?”

Sunwoo wiggled his fingers. “These go up your ass.”

“E—excuse me?” Eric choked. 

“Lubricant.”

“Oh.” Eric studied Sunwoo’s fingers again, as if he didn’t realize that this part required him to move. “That’s fascinating.” 

“Not as fascinating as it’ll feel,” Sunwoo prompted.

“Oh, oh, right. Sorry.”

Eric gasped as Sunwoo pulled his fingers back out again. Sunwoo moved to wipe his faerie dust-coated fingers on the sheets beside him, but Eric grabbed his wrist. He lifted Sunwoo’s hand to his mouth and sucked his fingers clean.

Sunwoo let out a strangled moan. Eric swiped his tongue over the digits and stared up at Sunwoo innocently. 

Only a heartbeat more eye contact lasted between them before Sunwoo leaned down and sank into him, connecting them as one and chasing his desire into the setting sun. 

Eric hadn’t lied when he said he had trouble waking up. Sunwoo smiled down at his sleeping form after hitting snooze on the alarm three times. Eventually, he’d wake up to go to school, but Sunwoo didn’t have the heart to move him. Not when he looked so precious curled up in Sunwoo’s shirt with the light just barely missing his face and making his dark hair glow. 

So he leaned down and planted a kiss on his mate’s forehead instead, smiled at him one last time, and left the same way he’d entered the day before.

Sunwoo stared at the clock all day. Counting the very seconds until school got out and he could see Eric again. Was he hurting, had it been bothering him all day? Was he bragging to his friends? They hadn’t spoken since last night. Sunwoo had texted him, but when he didn’t receive a reply, he figured it was better not to seem clingy. 

Sunwoo took the stairs two at a time up to Eric’s bedroom. The light was off when he pushed the door open. He fought back a laugh at the sight that greeted him. Had Eric really been so tired after school that he took a nap as soon as he got home?

Sunwoo bent down to brush the hair out of his face. Eric’s eyes were shut peacefully as if he’d never moved after Sunwoo left this morning. 

He froze. 

Sunwoo reached for Eric’s phone, plugged in on the nightstand. There were all of Sunwoo’s texts on the lockscreen, like Eric hadn’t even checked his phone all day. 

Eric was still dressed in Sunwoo’s shirt, his legs bare. Even the position he was lying in seemed the same. 

Sunwoo crouched next to the bed and tugged at Eric’s sleeve. “Eric?” He squeezed his mate’s shoulder gently. “Eric?” No response. Sunwoo tugged at his horns in panic. 

“Eric?” He tried shaking Eric by the arm. He tried physically picking him up, but Eric just slid out of his arms and back to the bed. Sunwoo felt his lungs seize in panic. What the fuck did he do? He didn’t know shit about medicine or healing. 

This was beyond him. And this was his _mate._ He couldn’t keep them a secret now. 

He scooped Eric into his arms. His mate wasn’t as light as he’d hoped, but that was probably due to all those tempting muscles he was hiding. Oh, right, it would be rude of him to carry Eric across the city half naked, wouldn't it?

It was weird to slide sweatpants over Eric’s legs like he was dressing a baby. He felt like he was wasting time, but he needed to, at least for propriety’s sake. 

Eric in his arms, he crossed the city at record speed. His heart pounded in his throat at a record rate. 

The door to Juyeon’s apartment burst open with a single kick. Sitting at the counter, Kevin and Sangyeon looked up in surprise. 

“Sunwoo?” Kevin was the first to rush over. “What happened?” The other faeries crowded into the living room, wearing matching confused expressions. 

“What’s going on?” Changmin squinted at Eric in Sunwoo’s arms as he laid him down on the couch. “Why do you have a human?”

“That’s the one we kept in the forest for a bit,” Jacob observed. “You— oh.” 

Sunwoo knelt beside Eric, smoothing his hair back and looking around frantically. “Where’s Chanhee? He needs to bring— bring his healing kit, or something—”

Sangyeon stood the farthest away, observing with a cold expression. Kevin stroked Sunwoo’s hair soothingly. Jacob knelt down beside him. “Sunwoo, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” Sunwoo explained. “But you have to help him. He’s my mate.”

“You mated with a human?” Changmin’s head whipped back and forth. Kevin and Jacob glanced at Sangyeon, who shook his head and walked to his bedroom. 

“Sunwoo, tell us what happened so we can help.” Jacob’s tone was soft. 

“I— We were… completing the mating ritual. But I can’t think of anything we did that was bad… except….” Sunwoo’s memory fixated on something, something so minute he’d forgotten. Eric’s lips closing around his faerie dust covered fingers, swiping the excess into his mouth.

“I think he may have ingested faerie dust.”

“Fuck.” Jacob’s head whipped towards the hall. “Chanhee!” Sunwoo felt panic begin to set in. Jacob only swore when shit got _serious._

“You’re the expert on faerie dust,” Sunwoo pointed out as Chanhee was caught up by Kevin. “Do you know what to do?”

“Faerie dust is lethal when ingested by humans,” Chanhee explained calmly. 

“What?” Sunwoo’s heart clenched. “So then, what can you do?”

“If he’d breathed it in and had it sitting in his lungs for hours, he’d already be dead. But because he ingested it….” Chanhee stroked his chin. “It’s probably getting to work coating his digestive system.”

“What?” Sunwoo yelped. “Then do something!”

“It’s poison, Sunwoo,” Chanhee said evenly. “There is nothing _to do._ He’s going to die.”

The world fell beneath his feet. Sunwoo didn’t understand how he wasn’t falling, because there was nothing holding him up. 

“Jacob—” He whirled towards the older faerie. “Can’t you pull the faerie dust out of his system or something?”

“I could try,” Jacob mused. A bolt of hope shot through him. “But there’s no guarantee it won’t seriously scratch up his throat and airway in the process.”

“But you can try,” Sunwoo prompted.

“Yes, I’ll try.” Jacob glanced around him. “Can you move back?”

Sunwoo stepped back until he was as far back as he could be without letting go of Eric’s hand. 

Jacob concentrated, raising a hand over Eric’s mouth as he tried to pull the faerie dust out. Eric’s lips parted as dust collected on his lips. 

“That’s as much as I could get,” Jacob apologized.

“What about the rest of it?” Sunwoo urged.

“There’s a tea I could make that’ll slow down the effects,” Chanhee suggested. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to wake him.”

“What? Why not?”

“Forcing him awake might startle the faerie dust and make it work faster,” Jacob explained.

“Oh, well, we wouldn’t want to _frighten it,_ of course.”

“Send it with him when you drop him back with the hunter.” Sangyeon was back. Sunwoo turned to glare at the clan leader. _Yeah, where the fuck did you go?_ “And this.” He slipped a folded piece of paper into Eric’s pocket.

“What’s that?” Sunwoo snapped. 

“A note.” Sangyeon met his gaze evenly. 

“I’ll take him back,” Jacob volunteered. “The hunters will want to take care of him.”

“What? No! I’m going,” Sunwoo countered, rising to his feet. 

“No.” Sangyeon clamped a hand down on his shoulder. “You’re staying here, Sunwoo.” Sunwoo turned to face his clan leader, finding a look of intensity beyond his comprehension. “We need to have a talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so... im sorry but... this is not a cute fluffy story... things always get worse before they get better, and dw, they will get much worse! :-D  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> Thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	24. 24. Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall know all those questions you've probably had since like chapter 16? yeah, you'll get (some of) those answers now.

24\. Reveal

Hyunjae found Eric slumped on the floor outside his hotel room. It took less than two seconds for him to drop everything he was holding and frantically crouch beside the unconscious boy. When Eric didn’t respond to any of his prompting, Hyunjae scooped him up and brought him inside his room. Whatever errands he needed to do today would wait. 

He laid Eric down on the vacant bed and reluctantly patted him down just to see if he could find any information on the cause of this strange ailment. To Hyunjae’s surprise, he found a small packet of tea and a note. He threw the tea away immediately(he wasn’t in the habit of trusting fae) and studied the note cautiously. Was it a ransom? Had faeries taken Eric again and drugged him this time? Was this supposed to be a warning for himself?

Hyunjae traced the paper with a finger. It was rough, more like parchment and warm to the touch. Nervously, he unfolded the page.

He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. A ransom note, most likely. A death threat, just as probably. He was not expecting to be addressed by his full name.

_Lee Jaehyun—_

_It’s been a while, hasn’t it? And I know exactly how you’ve been spending your time. It was quite the shock to see you again, invading my home, no less. I don’t know what you think you’ve been up to, but your young accomplice, Eric Sohn, has filled us in on all the violence you’ve been causing._

Hyunjae sighed. He forced his eyes away from the paper for just a moment and made himself breathe. This really was not how he’d envisioned them speaking for the first time again. 

_You have caused unrest and grief to my clan, but believe me, Eric’s current predicament is no form of revenge. He is suffering from an unfortunate ingestion of faerie dust. Of the fatal kind._

Hyunjae felt his stomach drop. Ingestion. Faerie dust. Fatal. His heart pounded in warning. Everything he’d tried to keep Eric from, for his own good. The sweet, good-natured, bright-eyed kid he’d met three years ago and tried to show the good from the bad. The light from the dark. Why had he ever thought that would work? He’d messed it all up. Eric would never have gotten into this situation if it weren’t for him. All he could do was fuck things up. 

_This is not an invitation to come visit me. I don’t want any pathetic attempts at reparations. Considering I’m still alive, I’m assuming you have kept my heart in one piece. I should hope that means you care enough to listen to my request._

_We can help Eric. You know the way he must be saved. But first, I beg you, tell him the truth. Reveal who you truly are. If there’s one thing Eric needs, it’s trust. He’s certainly proven himself to us._

_Eternally yours,_

_Lee Sangyeon_

_Eternally yours._ Hyunjae crumpled the paper with a snarl. Not a promise, but an obligation. Like he had a choice in the matter.

“Sunwoo?” 

His head whipped towards the sudden detection of movement. On the bed, Eric stirred lightly, eyes fluttering open to show a glazed expression. 

“How are you feeling?” Hyunjae tossed the crumpled letter over his shoulder and came to sit beside Eric.

Eric squinted, as if he couldn’t really see where he was. “Where’s Sunwoo?”

Hyunjae felt his insides twist at the name. Sunwoo? _Kim Sunwoo? That’s_ who Eric had gotten tangled up with? That obnoxious, spoiled brat? Responsible for taking him away from his—

Hyunjae shook his head. “It’s me, kid.” He squeezed one of Eric’s hands and helped prop him up against the pillows. “Hyunjae.”

“Oh.” Eric drew back slightly. Hyunjae’s lip curled. 

“What happened?” Eric asked drowsily, glancing around. Hyunjae swallowed and thought of Sangyeon’s words.

“Just sit tight, alright kid?” Hyunjae sighed and forced his nerves down. “I’m gonna tell you a story.”

_— 20 years ago —_

Rich sunlight broke through the curtains, illuminating the tousled sheets and tangled limbs that occupied the bed. A man stood by the window, twisted horns silhouetted by the dawn. His bare chest was facing the window, leaving only his back and clothed lower half exposed to the other set of eyes in the room. 

The man still in bed stretched languidly and yawned. His hair was dyed a fair blond, offset by his deep golden skin and deeper gold eyes. 

“It’s later than normal,” the man in bed remarked. He shook the sheets off and fumbled around on the floor for his clothes, discarded in quite a hurry last night. “Felt like sleeping in?” The man he was teasing gave no response. 

“Sangyeon?”

His lover turned from the window with a smile. “Sorry, darling. Distracted.” Sangyeon made his way to the bed and encased the golden man in his arms. “Did you sleep well, Jaehyun?”

“As well as I always will with you beside me.”

Sangyeon brushed a hand lovingly over the man’s golden locks, the ridges of his pointed ears, down the unmarred skin of his smooth back. 

“Have a busy day today, Captain?” Jaehyun asked teasingly. “Normally you’re up on a patrol by now.”

“Inspections today,” Sangyeon remarked lazily. “Got a day off.”

“Really.” Jaehyun’s smile slipped. “Inspections? Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to be here?”

“Of course, my love. Someone of my caliber wouldn’t be involved with this sort of thing.” Sangyeon kissed the top of his mate’s head tenderly and stood. “Best to get dressed anyway, though. We’ll have to sneak you out soon.” He tilted his head playfully. “Although being Captain of the Royal Guard has its perks.”

The two teased each other lovingly as they dressed. Sangyeon wrapped his arms around Jaehyun’s waist as the younger man tied his shirt at the collar. “Beautiful,” Sangyeon breathed, tickling the hair at the base of Jaehyun’s neck. He turned to press a kiss to his mate’s lips.

A heavy pounding on the door broke their spell. Sangyeon sprang to the door immediately, hand reaching for his swords. Jaehyun hesitated anxiously by the window. 

Sangyeon assumed his authoritative captain voice and snapped, “What do you want?”

“It’s Inspection Day, Captain. All positions are going under inspection. Queen’s orders. She’s got suspicions of a high-ranking officer breaking the mating laws.”

Panic shot through Sangyeon. The Queen had caught word? But how? He ran through a list of all the people that knew. Kevin, Jacob, Chanhee, Changmin. All loyal friends. None would have told on him.

Unless she’d found out through her son. But no, he never would have—

“Sangyeon,” Jaehyun whispered, eyes wide with panic. “What do we do?”

Because Sangyeon was the high-ranking officer who’d broken the mating laws. And now he needed to make his choice. His duty, or his love.

He’d spent over 200 years searching for love, and now that he’d found it, it seemed the universe was deemed on taking it away from him. 

Sangyeon moved to stand in front of Jaehyun protectively. “We can’t outrun them,” he informed his mate quietly. Jaehyun glanced to the window. Sangyeon shook his head. “We can’t fight them either. We’ll have to go with them.”

Jaehyun shook his head. “No! Who knows what they’ll do to you—” Sangyeon silenced him with a kiss. 

“I won’t let them hurt you. I promise.” They leaned their foreheads together. Outside, the patrol was growing impatient and began to pound on the door. “Just break it down already!” Sangyeon called. “We’re trying to have a moment here.”

He turned back to Jaehyun. “I’ll take whatever punishment they give me,” he murmured. “It’s worth it, for the time I got to spend with you.”

Jaehyun rubbed furiously at his tears. “Not fucking fair,” he whispered. “We’re destined for each other, how can they make our love illegal?”

“It won’t always be this way,” Sangyeon promised. “A change in leadership is nearing. Soon, within the century, we’ll have—”

“I don’t have a century,” Jaehyun hissed. Sangyeon was taken aback by the sudden wake of violence within his mate. “I won’t live as long as you, Sangyeon.”

“I know, dearest.” Sangyeon reached for Jaehyun again, but the other man pulled back. 

“Promise you won’t give up on me,” Jaehyun whispered.

Sangyeon felt his heart break. How could he ever give up on someone like Jaehyun, his eternal love, no matter what he did? “Of course,” Sangyeon whispered back. He leaned in for another kiss just as the door burst open. 

Standing at the front of the patrol was one of his longest friends in the Royal Guard. She surveyed the situation, Sangyeon holding Jaehyun, so clearly not woodland fae, in his arms, a determined expression fixed on his face. 

“Oh, Sangyeon,” she sighed. “I had a hunch it was you.”

They tore him away from his mate, respectfully tying his hands back while Jaehyun thrashed against them. Sangyeon tried to warn him, but Jaehyun fought the guards all the way to the throne room.

“Your Majesty.” He greeted the Queen of the Woodland Fae with a bow. Jaehyun just glared. “I will confess to my breaking of the mating laws and add that I have no regrets in doing so.”

“I see.” The Queen leaned forward, her deep auburn hair falling over her shoulder. There were two thrones at the front of the throne room, but one was empty. The King, ever failing in his duty, was absent again today. The Queen was dressed in deep green robes, an elegant lei of leaves— the spring crown— perched around her horns. “Even though you, as the Captain of the Royal Guard, have a responsibility to serve and protect your kingdom, you have brought this stranger, not just into your home, but into _my palace,_ where I have graciously given you work and shelter?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.” Sangyeon met her eyes without wavering. Jaehyun could only stare at the unwavering loyalty and courage of his mate. 

“You will both be punished, then.” The Queen waved her hand and a pair of guards stepped forward. The patrol tightened their grips on Sangyeon and forced Jaehyun to his knees. “Not here,” the Queen hissed. “Take them to the courtyard. You’ll make a mess.” 

Sangyeon held his chin high as they dragged him out into the sun. The trees seemed to sigh in sympathy, the very world teeming with sorrow for him.

“After you take your punishment, you will no longer be able to see each other.” The Queen informed them. 

Sangyeon turned to her in shock. “But—”

“You thought you’d be banished, no?”

Sangyeon nodded in affirmation.

The Queen smiled. “Despite the tendencies to follow your heart, you’re a loyal soldier, Sangyeon. I think a little reformation will be all it takes for you to be ready to get your position back again after this.”

“Reformation?” Sangyeon whispered.

“What’s the punishment?” Jaehyun asked boldly. 

“258 whips for Sangyeon,” a guard read off. “One for each year of his life. For the other, 300 whips, for the crimes of mating with a woodland fae, being brought into the woodland fae palace, and being exposed to secrets of woodland fae royalty that is illegal to know for….” The guard wrinkled his nose. “Creatures of your caliber.”

The guards tugged Sangyeon to his feet and dragged him to the center tree in the courtyard where they would brace him for the whipping.

“Wait!” A voice broke the moment. Sangyeon looked to see Jaehyun struggling to his feet. “Give me Sangyeon’s punishment instead.”

The Queen looked visibly shocked. 

“Is that allowed?” muttered one guard to another. 

“Sangyeon’s punishment on top of your own?” the Queen clarified.

“Yes,” Jaehyun declared, voice quivering but face set. 

“That’s 558 lashes,” a guard holding Sangyeon hissed. “He thinks he can take that?” 

“Yeah, he can,” Sangyeon whispered. “But why?” 

The guards hauled him back and forced him to stand to the side. Jaehyun was dragged forward instead. 

Sangyeon forced himself to stay calm. He tried, he really did. He tried until he saw them tie him against the tree, and something inside him snapped. 

“No!” Sangyeon kicked against the nearest guard and shoved the patrol off him. He lunged forward, reaching forward desperately as they lowered Jaehyun onto his knees. He was grabbed again and dragged back to the edge of the courtyard as they removed Jaehyun’s shirt and cracked the fae whip above his head. 

“Count them,” the guard instructed. And Jaehyun counted all 558 whip lashes. 

Eric rubbed at his eyes. 

“You’re crying?” Hyunjae felt his mouth twitch into almost a smile despite himself. 

“It’s not fair!” Eric wailed. “You had such a beautiful love story but the law got in the way!”

“Yeah. That’s how it works.”

“Hey, but what did that guard mean by….” Eric squinted as he tried to recall the term. _“A creature of your caliber?_ Did he mean human?”

“Not exactly,” Hyunjae sighed. He brushed his long strands of hair out of his face, tucking them behind his ears. Eric yelped. 

“You’re—”

“Half-human,” Hyunjae explained. “Half starsight fae.”

“A halfling,” Eric breathed in astonishment. “Right in front of me all along. That’s incredible. How did we never notice?”

Hyunjae shrugged. “I don’t get a lot of enhancements like purebred fae. Just the pointed ears, some extra strength, improved senses, and the ability to pick up the scent of faerie dust.” He glanced pointedly at Eric. “It’s all over you right now.”

“I thought you said that was an experienced hunter thing,” Eric protested.

Hyunjae shrugged. “Well, I had to tell you something.” He stretched and glanced towards the letter he’d tossed to the floor. “I think you’re missing the point though, Eric.” Hyunjae took the human’s hands in his own. “You’re heading down the same path as me. I know who you’re with, and it’s _dangerous.”_

Eric shook his head. “But Sunwoo’s not like Sangyeon. We won’t be found out like that.”

Hyunjae felt his heart tug at his brain. _You have no idea what you don’t know._

“Eric, I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Hyunjae sighed. “But it’s too late for that.”

“What do you mean?” 

Hyunjae filled him in on the rest of the letter’s contents. 

“Oh.” 

Eric didn’t take it as badly as he’d thought. 

“Well, I’m sure Sunwoo will find a way to help me,” Eric decided, puffing his chest. 

Oh, so he was being delusional about it.

“Eric, there _is no way_ to help you,” Hyunjae informed him. “Well, there is _one_ way, but it involves the Fae Empress and it’s _very_ unlikely.”

“Then we’ll try that,” Eric decided. 

“Who’s we?” Hyunjae shook his head helplessly. “I can’t go back there, Eric.”

“I’m not talking about you,” Eric said in confusion. “I mean Sunwoo and his clan. They’ll be willing to help me. I’m sure.”

_Well,_ Hyunjae figured. _Only one way to find out._

Sunwoo hugged his knees to his chest. 

“Why did you tell me this?” He asked. Sangyeon sighed.

“So you know exactly what I went through in your situation,” Sangyeon said, glancing around the room for support. No one met his eyes.

_They all knew,_ Sunwoo realized. They all knew and he was the only one who didn’t. 

“For you, it’ll be much worse,” Sangyeon added. “You have to deal with your mother, with the courts and with the entire kingdom—”

“I know!” Sunwoo exploded. “Don’t you think I knew the risks before I mated him? I prioritized, okay?” He straightened up to glare at Sangyeon. “I know how dangerous it might be but I _don’t care._ I don’t care what it costs me as long as I’m with him.” He didn’t like the look of resignation in Sangyeon’s eyes.

“You might not get to be with him for long,” Sangyeon said tiredly. “He’s on borrowed time now.”

“There’s a way, though, isn’t there?” Sunwoo urged. “You told me. There’s a way.”

“Sunwoo, there’s like a one one thousandth of a chance the Empress would help us—”

“The _Empress?”_ Jacob squeaked. “What are you talking about?”

“A way to save Eric.” Sunwoo met Sangyeon’s gaze evenly. “Making him fae.”

“You can do that?” Kevin asked in astonishment. 

Sangyeon frowned. “Didn’t you say you read about it in one of Kevin’s books?”

“Yeah, and that was obviously a lie!” Sunwoo huffed. “I’m glad I asked, though.” He picked at the threads of the couch. “What do you think, Juyeon?”

All eyes turned to the former faerie. 

“Um,” Juyeon said. “I’d like to stay out of it—”

“Sangyeon, if I told you we’re taking Eric to the woodland capital to open a case to see the Empress, you’d have to do it?” Sunwoo checked. 

“I wouldn’t advise it, but yes. There’s nothing I can do against you,” Sangyeon confirmed. 

“Then it’s settled. We’re taking him to the Woodland Fae Palace.” Sunwoo lifted his chin, expecting to see faces filled with exasperation or worry. He was met with expressions of support and resolve instead.

“We’re your clan, kid. No matter your position, if this is what you want to do, we’re behind you.” Sangyeon clapped a hand down on his shoulder. The others nodded vehemently in agreement. Even Juyeon smiled.

“So, when do we leave?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> peep that title pun i know i know  
> i had to make hyunjae suffer a lot to make up for his shitty personality but i hope stuff kind of makes sense now. dont worry, you'll get more answers! eventually....  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~ Li


	25. 25. Romeo and Juliet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you thought last week had plot twists, hold onto your theories....

25\. Romeo and Juliet

Eric was heavy. He was unconscious again, dead weight in Sunwoo’s arms.

But he refused to let anyone else carry him.

“I don’t get why _he’s_ coming,” Changmin snarled. Jacob led the way, Sunwoo marching after him, refusing to let the extra person in his grip slow him down. Kevin trotted after his mate dutifully. Chanhee hovered near the back, still miffed that Juyeon refused to come. And then Sangyeon, forming a barrier between the faeries and Hyunjae.

“Eric is important to him. He wanted to come with,” Sangyeon explained, taking a step closer to his (ex?) mate.

“Wasn’t him being in the palace the whole problem in the first place?” Chanhee quipped.

Sangyeon tensed. “This time will be different.”

_Yeah, cause everyone will be focused on me,_ Sunwoo thought grimly. He’d been running through the scenarios in his head. What his argument would be. How he would convince the court to fight for Eric, to let him see the Empress. How to convince her to heal him. To make him fae.

Would Eric even want that? Did he understand the risk? What if he’d rather spend this time with his family and stay human? What right did Sunwoo have to make this decision for him?

“You look extra pissy,” the hunter remarked.

“Don’t talk to me,” Sunwoo snapped back.

Hyunjae rolled his eyes. “Eric told me what he wanted to do. If you’re stressed about it, don’t be. He wants this too.”

_He told you and not me—_

Jesus, that annoying jealousy thing again. Of course Eric told Hyunjae, he was only conscious with him. The last time Eric had been conscious with Sunwoo was… well…. His face heated remembering it. Who knew when they’d get to do something like that again.

“So if you were mated to a faerie, why’d you decide to start killing them?” Kevin broke the silence.

Hyunjae snarled. 

“Okay, touchy subject. Sorry.” Kevin skipped closer to Jacob.

Hyunjae cast his gaze down to the ground. Sangyeon placed a light hand on his back to guide him forward. If it was anyone else, Sunwoo might have felt sorry. But then he remembered all the things Hyunjae had done, and his blood boiled.

Something squeaked. Chanhee, hearing ever acute, turned to Sunwoo. “Was that—”

Someone nuzzled into his arm. Eric yawned, the perfect picture of Sleep Beauty waking in the arms of his prince.

“Hi,” Sunwoo said softly. Eric’s eyes blinked open, bleary from his unnaturally long sleep.

“Hi,” he replied blearily.

“Can you stand?” Sunwoo forgot to care that the rest of his clan was standing around them, hearing him speak to Eric with his soft voice specially reserved for him.

Eric nodded after a moment, and Sunwoo slowly lowered him onto his feet. He kept an arm wrapped around his waist, guiding him farther from Hyunjae. Eric made no effort to leave his side, and it made a burst of satisfaction bloom in his chest. A part of him wanted to taunt, “See? He chose _me_ over you.”

“We’ll be there soon,” he said instead. Their trek through the forest had only lasted 20 minutes, but they could warp the space around them to arrive at the woodland palace quicker. “We’re almost to the kingdom’s front gates.”

“Wish I was able to see it in a better condition,” Eric moaned. “I feel like someone stabbed me through the head and left the knife inside.”

“You’re hurting? Why didn’t you tell me?” Sunwoo demanded.

Eric squinted at him. “What would you have done about it?”

“Well… something!” 

“Uh huh.” Eric leaned on him, Sunwoo sneaking kisses onto the top of his head when no one was looking.

Finally, a set of carved wooden gates rose up before them. 

Sunwoo took a deep breath. Home. 

Except home didn’t feel as welcoming as he’d hoped, after twenty years.

Twenty years ago, when Sangyeon received his punishment. Look after Sunwoo. Keep him safe. If you succeed, you can have your position back.

And Sunwoo had put himself in more danger than anyone else.

The gates opened easily at his touch. There were no guards at the gate, nor up in the trees.

“Huh,” said Jacob.

Then something slammed into him, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Sunwoo went sprawling, scrambling to find Eric. A circle of guards had surrounded them. Patrol level. Low rank. Sunwoo rolled his eyes.

“Halt, trespassers!” The one in charge recited. “You will be brought before the queen for your crimes!”

“Perfect,” Sunwoo drawled, helping Eric to his feet. “That’s exactly who we’re here to see.”

“One does not simply come to see the Queen of the Woodland Fae,” a guard retorted.

Sunwoo met their gaze. “I do.”

Sangyeon sighed and stepped forward. Hyunjae paced after him uncertainly. “Don’t you know who we are?” The former Captain of the Guard asked.

The guard frowned. “Should we?”

“I mean, it’s been twenty years. They could be new,” Chanhee pointed out.

Sangyeon sighed. “Well, that’s unfortunate.”

“They are resisting arrest!” A guard suddenly cried. 

“What? No we’re not—” Jacob protested.

“Capture the intruders!” The lead guard ordered. Rope nets were tossed over them and bundled up tight. Sunwoo felt himself yanked away from Eric, and he growled.

“You know, you could always tie Jakey and I up together. Uses less rope,” Kevin winked. The guard seemed to seriously consider it.

Sunwoo lifted his chin as they were dragged through the forest. He could only imagine the looks on the guards’ faces when they found out who they’d caught. 

It didn’t take long for the trees to fall away, the trodden path beneath them beginning to twist downwards. They followed it down into the valley, the treetops revealing just a few of the wooden spires of the palace, spiraling up towards the sky above.

The Woodland Fae Palace was made of carved wood, polished and rough hewn and sturdy as the trees it was chopped from. Despite everything, Sunwoo felt warmth blossom in his heart as they were dragged through the front entrance towards the throne room. Home.

He remembered every hall, every nook and cranny and crevice, as they passed it. Some of the servants recognized him, he noted. He grinned and revelled in their looks of shock.

The guards stopped outside the throne room. 

“This’ll be good,” Kevin remarked in amusement.

“Your Majesty!” The lead guard threw the doors open.

The Queen of the Woodland Fae sat primly on her throne, leaning over to speak with one of the Woodland Council’s advisors. She sat up when the guards dragged their clan inside and forced them to their knees in a line. 

The queen stood immediately, tossing her head of auburn hair out of her face as she descended. A twisted crown of thorns and roses crowned her head, wrapping her horns. The layer of roses cushioned softly against her hair, while the thorns spiked upwards, power and beauty nestled close together. 

“What’s going on here?” The queen demanded as she approached. 

The guard straightened proudly.

 _Your career is over,_ Sunwoo thought smugly.

“We found these trespassers outside the Northern Gate. What should be done with them, Your Majesty?”

The queen leveled her gaze with Sunwoo, all others forgotten. Eyes that criticized him, supported him. Loved him.

“Release them at once.”

The guards sputtered. “But— Your Majesty…”

“Sunwoo.” The queen knelt and cupped his face as the guards untied him and his clan. She smiled softly. “Welcome home.”

Sunwoo couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face. It had been twenty years. “Hello, mother.”

Eric was really the only one surprised(everyone else knew). It took a lot of a guilty Sunwoo frantically explaining on the way to his chambers that he was _going_ to tell him eventually, but it was a dangerous situation.

“I don’t care if it was a dangerous situation!” Eric wailed. “You’re a fucking crown prince and you didn’t tell me! You’re fae _royalty!”_

“I mean. Yeah,” Sunwoo admitted. “So… by association, so are you.”

Eric paused. “What?”

“You’re my mate. That’s the fae equivalent of marriage.”

Eric gaped at him outside the door to their new bedroom— well, new for Eric. The bedroom Sunwoo had grown up in. That had been vacant for the past twenty years. “I married into fae royalty?”

“Goals, right?”

Eric collapsed into the canopied bed the second he crossed the wide floor. Juyeon’s entire studio apartment could easily fit inside just the main room of Sunwoo’s chambers. Not including the attached bathroom and dressing room.

“I could get used to this,” Eric sighed, wiggling his toes into the silk sheets. 

“You better,” Sunwoo grinned, plopping down beside him.

Eric began to cough, sudden and wet and violent. Sunwoo jolted towards him in alarm. 

“Eric? What do you need? Water?” Sunwoo waited for the coughing to stop for him to speak. But it didn’t.

Eric coughed, and coughed, and coughed, his face turning redder than Sunwoo’s hair. Sunwoo reached for him in a panic. 

Finally, the fit subsided, and Sunwoo shoved water at him immediately. 

“Thanks,” Eric rasped once he’d drained the cup.

“What was that?” Sunwoo demanded. 

“Dunno. Side effect?” Eric tried to smile, but ended up dissolving into another coughing fit again. 

_His lungs are trying to dispel the faerie dust,_ Sunwoo realized. _No, don’t do that, it’ll hurt him—_

“I’ll call for a servant to bring a jug to keep overnight,” Sunwoo decided. Eric raised his eyebrows.

“You can do that?”

“Sure.” Sunwoo reached for the set of bells by his bedside. “Let’s see… it’s been a while. There it is. Kitchen service.” 

Eric watched in fascination at the wooden pipes lined up under the bells. The one under the label _Kitchen Service_ opened, and the bell rang, the sound traveling down through the wooden pipe, presumably to the kitchen. 

“Cool.”

A maid arrived a few moments later, bowing to Sunwoo in greeting. “Your Highness. We are all so pleased to have you back home.”

“We need water,” Sunwoo interrupted bluntly. “A whole jug.”

The maid hesitated. “Yes, Your Highness.” She bowed again and left.

Sunwoo sniffed. “Bitch.”

“What?” Eric protested. “She seemed nice!”

“She ignored you.” At Eric’s perplexed expression, Sunwoo explained, “You have the same rank as me. Imagine meeting the King and Queen but only addressing the King the whole time, or something. Even if you weren’t speaking to her, she could have at least bowed, or something.” 

“Maybe she was bowing to both of us at once,” Eric suggested, feeling for the poor servant girl.

“True, but she could have also said “Your Highnesses” instead of “Your Highness.””

Eric scratched his chin. “Yeah, okay.”

“Unfortunately, that’s something you should get used to.” Sunwoo helped him to settle back against the pillows, fluffing them up and tucking him in. “You’re still human, so you’ll probably be treated like that despite your rank. Most people won’t be pleased about us.”

Eric’s brow furrowed. “Still?”

Sunwoo paused. “Yeah. You know, the whole reason you’re… here.”

“To see the Fae Empress,” Eric clarified. 

Sunwoo relaxed. “Yeah.”

“To heal me.”

Sunwoo tensed again. “You know… how, right?”

Eric scrunched his nose. “Well, I’m assuming with some crazy powerful fae magic only the Empress can wield.” He grinned up at Sunwoo. The smile faded upon seeing his mate’s grim expression.

“Eric, there’s no way to heal you.” 

Eric froze. “But— then why—”

“She’s going to make you fae.” Sunwoo sighed. “That’s the only way to save you.”

“....oh.” Eric’s voice became very small. “O-oh. Okay.”

“The only other option is death,” Sunwoo explained. “So I’m sorry to make the choice for you.”

“You didn’t make it for me,” Eric declared, squaring his shoulders. “This is what I want too.”

Sunwoo’s heart quickened. “It is?”

Eric reached for his hand. “I’ll get better. And I’ll get to spend the rest of my life with you. What more could I ask for?”

Sunwoo felt his heart swell. “I love you.”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Eric leaned up to kiss him. 

Someone cleared their throat. 

The maid was back. She stood in the doorway, gazing at them disprovingly. A jug of water was clutched in her hand.

“Leave it,” Sunwoo commanded, gesturing to the desk along the wall. 

The servant girl approached the desk warily, eyeing them as if they were going to start making out in front of her again. Or, perhaps she was hoping to catch some top secret royal information. 

“Don’t take all day,” Sunwoo snapped. The maid bowed and scurried out.

“You could be nicer,” Eric chided as Sunwoo pressed kisses to his shoulder.

“I’ll be nice to her when she’s nice to you.” 

Eric pulled back from him. “Is this how you’re going to be about everyone?”

“Yes,” Sunwoo responded, nose a hairswidth away.

“Well, I can’t say it’s not doing something for me.” Eric leaned in again, then paused. “Hey, what’s everyone else doing?”

“Speaking with the council.” Sunwoo sat back. “Trying to arrange a court date.”

“Court date?” Eric asked, puzzled.

“For you to present your case in front of them. If they approve it, we’ll be allowed to go to the fae capital and they’ll help us see the Fae Empress.”

“Right. Right.” Eric fiddled with his fingers. “What if they don’t approve it?”

“They will.”

“But if they don’t—”

“They will.” Sunwoo lifted his chin with gentle fingers. “Eric, I’m not going to let anything stand in our way. I promise.”

Eric swallowed. “Okay. I trust you.” 

The wide innocence in his eyes was enough to make Sunwoo’s heart almost break. He brushed the hair out of Eric’s face and leaned down to kiss him again. 

Eric’s soft lips parted beneath him, greeting him with that eagerness he always craved. He could feel Eric’s aura in his arms, radiating excitement and love. But it was dimmer than normal. 

His lifeforce was fading.

Sunwoo pushed the thought out of mind. He focused on how it felt when Eric slipped his tongue past his lips, as they fell back against the pillows, as he held his whole world in his arms.

A shrill ringing broke through the moment. 

“Fuck,” Sunwoo snarled, ready for murder. 

Someone was calling him, but not on his cellphone. On the palace line. 

“Yes?” He snapped. 

“We’ve got a date.” 

It was Sangyeon.

“For— for the court? The hearing?” Sunwoo’s heart leapt into his throat. It was happening. He was going to save Eric.

“Yes, but… they don’t seem happy, Sun. They’re all very reluctant about this.” 

“I don’t care. I’ll do anything for him.” He reached out blindly, wrapping an arm around any part of Eric he could reach.

“I know. It’s a week from tomorrow. You better start preparing.” Sangyeon hung up.

Sunwoo set the phone down slowly. 

“You ready?” Sunwoo asked. “For the most difficult part of our lives?” He twined their hands together. “This is the part where we fight to be together. We’re Romeo and Juliet, except neither of us will die in the end.”

Eric beamed at him. “Then I like this version.” And to prove it, he leaned forward and kissed Sunwoo once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i know every time questions are answered there are just more questions... so much backstory is coming tho dw  
> how do yall think the court hearing will go?  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	26. 26. Moment in Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, time for exciting things! lmao, jk. i have to make more things hurt first.

26\. Moment in Time

Eric was sleeping again. He’d been sleeping for two days, actually. Every time Sunwoo saw his mate close his eyes, he felt his chest constrict. Every time, he worried how long it would take Eric to wake up.

The coughing was hardly the worst part of it. When Eric would wake up, briefly, usually only a few minutes at a time, Sunwoo would coax him to eat something. He hadn’t had a single meal since they’d arrived at the palace.

He tried ramyeon, stew, the finest meats he could conjure from across the kingdom. Everything ended up surging up and out and into the toilet soon after it went down. 

Finally, Sunwoo settled on water and tea and soup. He’d carry it from the kitchens himself. He’d sit on the bed, stroking Eric’s dark hair out of his eyes, as he forced himself upright to sip down the soup. He’d tried holding a spoon, but after he’d dropped it too many times, Sunwoo deemed it not safe.

Now, Sunwoo stared at the still-full bowl of soup he’d brought up for lunch, sitting next to the still-full bowl from breakfast. Eric had declined both, claiming he wasn’t hungry. 

It made Sunwoo’s heart ache. Wasn’t there something he could do? There had to be _something_ that would make his appetite improve….

What had Eric said his favorite food was again? _Rasujebi?_ What even was that?

Turns out, the chefs in the kitchen could make just about anything. He was carrying a steaming bowl of Eric’s favorite food up to their room soon after. 

Sunwoo set it down on the nightstand, letting the servants clear away the old dishes. He sat and stroked Eric’s hair until his eyes fluttered open. 

“Hi,” he said once Eric’s gaze focused on him. “Hungry?”

Eric made a face. “Well…” He struggled to sit up, and Sunwoo slipped an arm around him to help.

“I brought your favorite!” Sunwoo explained, face lighting up at the prospect of Eric eating normally again. “I hope it’s good, the chefs were a little confused….”

He waited anxiously, watching Eric’s face twist. “Oh… thanks.” Eric took the bowl gingerly.

“You don’t sound excited.” Sunwoo’s shoulders sank.

“Well, I’m just not too hungry, is all….”

“But you haven’t eaten for days,” Sunwoo protested. “You need to eat something!”

“I know, but…” Eric stirred the noodles aimlessly in circles. “It’s all going to come back up anyway.”

“You don’t know that,” Sunwoo protested.

“Yeah, I do.” Eric lifted a mouthful of noodles to his mouth anyway. He made a face but hid it quickly. “Thank you.”

“Don’t force yourself if it's not any good,” Sunwoo joked. Eric cracked a grin. It gave Sunwoo a spark of hope. 

“So? How is—” 

Eric shoved past him and staggered out of bed. 

“Whoa, where are you—”

Eric dove for the bathroom, and a few moments later, Sunwoo heard awful retching sounds followed by a wet splatter.

Eric emerged a minute later, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of the same hoodie he’d worn the past two days. “Went as well as I expected.”

“But— what can you eat if you can’t keep anything down….” Sunwoo fretted.

Eric just shook his head. “I don’t know. Everything makes me feel nauseous.”

Sunwoo wrung his hands together. “I’ll find something.”

Eric smiled softly and reached for his mate’s hands. “You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do,” Sunwoo protested. “I got you into this mess, I’ll help you through it— at least until the hearing, then we’ll be good to go— I can ask Chanhee… did you ever take the tea, by the way? It was supposed to help….” He trailed off at Eric’s confused expression. 

“What tea?” Eric asked quizzically. 

“Chanhee gave it to you, it should have been on you when we dropped you off with Hyunjae….” Sunwoo prompted.

Eric shook his head. “I don’t remember there being any tea.”

Sunwoo felt his stomach flip. What if Hyunjae did something to it? That bastard hunter, if he was responsible in anyway for how Eric was feeling—

_But he’s not as responsible as you._

Sunwoo pushed the thought out of his head. He pulled Eric into his arms, trying to transfer soothing thoughts through their mate bond. 

“Hot,” Eric complained, wiggling out of his grip.

Sunwoo felt a stab of guilt in his stomach. “Sorry….”

He laid down awkwardly next to Eric in bed, leaving the shivering human a decently sized gap between them. “Are you sure? You’re shivering….” He placed a hand to Eric’s forehead. “Oh, you _are_ burning up—” Sunwoo scrambled to his feet. “I'll call a nurse—” 

Three frantic bell rings later, a host of servants swarmed their chambers. “Well? What are you just standing there for? Help him!” Sunwoo snapped. 

“You can be nicer,” Eric mumbled from the bed. 

“I can’t afford to be nice right now,” Sunwoo hissed. 

“Yeah you can.” 

Sunwoo tugged at his horns. What the hell was he supposed to do?

“Please stand back, Your Highness,” one of the servants instructed as they dabbed Eric’s forehead with damp towels. 

“Stand back? Like hell I will,” Sunwoo snarled. 

“Stop being difficult,” Eric whispered. “They’re doing their best.” The servants seemed to agree with Eric’s feelings. Sunwoo took a couple steps back.

“I’m gonna—” Sunwoo felt his heart rate pick up. Suddenly he couldn’t bear to see Eric in such a state, despite the overwhelming urge to stay by his side. “I’m gonna go find Chanhee.”

He sprinted from the room. His feet flew over the marble floors, forgetting how fast he could run when he wasn’t held back by the cluttered life of a big city. 

Chanhee’s healer’s den was nestled at the far end of the palace. As the best healer in the kingdom, he was given the honor of living in the palace. He hadn’t known when he’d taken the job that it would lead to him getting dragged into Sunwoo’s life for twenty years.

The pink-haired faerie was poring over a recipe book when Sunwoo arrived. “Hi,” the Crown Prince panted, out of breath. 

“Hey?” Chanhee leaned back in his chair, setting his pen down. “Where’s your other half?”

Sunwoo flopped down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. “I can’t. I can’t see him like this. It’s killing me.”

“Well, think of how he feels,” Chanhee mused, swinging around to face Sunwoo. “This is _literally_ killing him.” He blinked at Sunwoo’s glare. “Sorry.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Sunwoo rolled over to stare helplessly at the older faerie. “How am I supposed to help him?”

Chanhee swung his chair back to his desk and began to stack up the loose leaf papers scattered there. “You’re doing everything you can, aren’t you?” He inquired. “You scheduled the hearing date. You’re enforcing his medical care. What else can you do?”

“Heal him?” Sunwoo cried. _“End_ this?”

“And how are you going to do that?” Chanhee narrowed his eyes. “You’ve done what you can. Now you’re powerless to deal with it.”

Sunwoo gaped at him.

“What? I’m serious. All you can do is _be there for him,_ and you’re not even doing that right now. You ran away cause you’re a little pussy.” Chanhee shrugged.

“I—” Sunwoo had an argument for that, surely. Surely Chanhee was just being Chanhee. “Well….”

“Here’s an idea of something you can do! How about you go back right now and apologize for leaving.” Chanhee made a shooing gesture towards the door.

“He knows I didn’t mean it,” Sunwoo protested weakly.

“Yes, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate hearing it from you.”

Sunwoo sighed. “I know.” He traced the faint pattern of the sofa beneath him, feeling the faded cloth worn away from years of use. His eyes turned to the walls of the room stretching above him and thought of how permanent everything around him was. And how fleeting this moment in time with Eric might be.

Sunwoo rose to his feet before he even realized what he was doing. 

Sitting around would get him nowhere. He’d done all he could… maybe all there was left to do was use the time they had.

The servants had cleared out by the time Sunwoo returned to his chambers. He frowned, his steps quickening as he passed the guards at the bottom of the stairs and climbed up to the bedroom. He hadn’t told them to do that….

The sound of Eric’s laughter bounced off the walls before he pushed the door open. The smile that had begun to creep its way up Sunwoo’s face melted immediately upon seeing who was making Eric laugh like that.

“Who let you in here?” Sunwoo snapped, leaning against the wall with arms crossed. “I definitely didn’t.”

“I did!” Eric chirped, leaning forward. It made Sunwoo’s stomach twist unpleasantly that Eric was sitting up and being talkative with someone who wasn't him. And for someone like Hyunjae the faerie hunter, of all people. “You said I have the same power as you….” Eric trailed off uncertainly.

“I know, I’m just worried. Don’t see how having someone like him around is beneficial for your health in any way.” Sunwoo pushed Hyunjae off the bed and sat in his place. 

Eric huffed and inched away as Sunwoo tried to pull him closer. “What’s up with you? You’ve been so rude to everyone ever since we got here.”

Sunwoo’s face flushed at the unexpected comment. “What?”

“Yeah! You’ve been treating the servants badly and I _know_ you don’t like Hyunjae but you don’t have to act this way right in front of him….” 

If it was anyone else Sunwoo would have banished them from the palace immediately, but coming from Eric, he felt like he was getting scolded. 

“It feels inappropriate for me to be here,” Hyunjae spoke up.

“No one’s making you stay,” Sunwoo grunted.

“See you later, Eric,” the human called hesitantly as the guards escorted him out.

“Wouldn’t count on it,” Sunwoo humphed. He turned back to Eric. “So? You got more to say?”

Eric blanched. “Well— yeah.”

Sunwoo braced himself. How much was he keeping inside?

“I’m worried about you.” Eric stared down at his hands.

“About… me?” Sunwoo blinked in confusion. Why on earth would Eric be worried about _him_ when he was in the worse situation here?

“You’re forcing yourself to take on more responsibility than you need to—”

“That’s my job—”

“But you can’t do anything to help me.” Eric enveloped Sunwoo’s hands in his. “Taking your frustration out on other people won’t help me.”

Sunwoo’s shoulders sank. “I know.” He leaned his forehead against Eric’s. The human’s face was warm, his breath shallow and uneven. “I’m sorry for walking out on you.”

“I know.” Eric combed his finger’s through Sunwoo’s hair. “I don’t know how I’d ever cope with this if our positions were reversed.”

“You’ll never have to worry about that.” Sunwoo kissed his forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.”

“When’s that hearing, again?” Eric mumbled.

Sunwoo cringed. “Tomorrow.”

“What are we doing for it?”

“Uh, you know. Arguing why they should assist you in seeking out help from the Fae Empress.”

“What are our odds?”

_Like, 0.1%._

“It’ll be tough,” Sunwoo admitted.

“We’re not gonna make it.”

“Yes, we are.” Sunwoo’s grip on his hands tightened. “I told you. I’m not going to accept defeat. I don’t care what they throw at us. You’re going to see the Fae Empress, and I don’t care how many laws I have to break to make that happen.”

“You’re not very good at being royal,” Eric observed sleepily, yawning despite it being mid afternoon.

“Well, that’s the thing about being royal. If I want to tear down some laws, I just can build up new ones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT week we get the hearing! how do yall think itll go?  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	27. 27. Hearing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension comes to a head as Eric's fate is decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone! nothing scarier than the life of your mate in the balance... hahahaha.....

27\. Hearing

Sunwoo adjusted the collar of his formal robe uncomfortably. If there was one thing he hated about this procedure, it was the dressup he had to play beforehand.

The servants had taken great joy in getting back at him that morning by pulling and yanking as much as they could. They didn’t dare do the same with Eric.

He stared down at the lace cuffs tracing his knuckles as he clenched his fists. The court was gathering. 

Sunwoo watched them filter into the amphitheater, filling the carved wood rows and glancing around pompously. Like there wasn’t a life at stake. Sunwoo gritted his teeth. If those fools didn’t try to take this seriously….

While he tried not to disagree with his mother on most of her decisions, her court appointments constantly baffled him. It was like she revelled in appointing useless idiots to further prove her own worth. 

Opposite from the court, next to the jury stand, were the rows where Sunwoo and his clan sat waiting. Sunwoo, the only one on his feet, glanced down to where Eric was slumped in his seat beside him. He kept one hand protectively on the human’s shoulder, just to make sure he was still there.

“Sunwoo.” 

The prince turned at the pressure of a hand squeezing his arm. 

“It’ll be okay.” Jacob gave him a soft smile. “It’ll be alright. You’ll see.”

Sunwoo could only give him a helpless stare in response. 

Slowly, he sank into his seat. The court had all settled in now. He tugged Eric closer to him and let the human rest his head on his mate’s shoulder. Eric was paler now, he noticed. And thinner. He hadn’t eaten in _days._ It made Sunwoo’s stomach clench every time he looked at him. 

Sunwoo scrunched his eyes shut and buried his nose in Eric’s hair.

“Stop worrying,” a soft voice said. 

Sunwoo’s eyes fluttered open. Eric’s eyes were still closed, but Sunwoo could hear his soft, ragged breathing. 

“You worry too much.” Eric burrowed his head deeper into Sunwoo’s shoulder as the Queen arrived, taking her place on the throne installed overseeing the court. “I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, may I have everyone’s attention!” The Queen’s voice caused immediate silence to fall on the court. Jacob squeezed Sunwoo’s shoulder. He caught Hyunjae’s eye as the hunter, sitting in a different section further back, glanced worriedly at Eric. Sangyeon shot him a reassuring smile. 

“What happens now?” Changmin hissed. 

“I don’t know,” Sunwoo confessed. “I’ve never sat in on a court hearing.”

“Seriously? You’re the Crown Prince, we’re _counting_ on you—”

The court advisor banged his gavel. A tall man maybe in his 400s, he was wiry and intelligent with long horns that shadowed his face. “May we get an introduction to the proceeding we are here today to witness?”

All eyes turned to Sunwoo. 

“Um,” the prince stammered. He glanced at Sangyeon. The clan leader shot him a thumbs up.

Sunwoo took a deep breath and stood. “We are here to argue on behalf of the human Eric Sohn, mate of Kim Sunwoo, Crown Prince of the Woodland Fae Kingdom, to be moved to the fae capital of Fantasia to be ceremoniously made fae by the Fae Empress. We would like to request the court’s assistance on this matter.”

Sunwoo was met by a spattering of a strange sound. With a jolt, he recognized it after a second as _laughter._ The court was _laughing_ at him.

“You would like to request the court’s assistance in making this human fae?” The court advisor asked, leaning forward. “How do you expect that to happen?”

Sunwoo straightened. “Eric is currently in the balance between life and death.” He tried not to choke on the words as he forced them out. “Thus, he is in the state to receive the transformation so long as the Empress is willing.”

The court advisor’s amused expression remained transfixed on his face. “And what makes you think she will be willing?”

“With the court’s assistance, and my title, I can’t see why she would not agree to it. As my mate, Eric has the duty to lead my people along with me.”

The court advisor knew better than to interrupt a royal, but it didn’t stop the look of contempt spreading across his face. 

“Ah yes, your mate. The mate you took illegally, if I remember correct?”

Sunwoo lifted his chin. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“So you, a royal who has broken the laws of your own kingdom, expect said kingdom to have your back when your disobedience backfires?” 

Sunwoo froze. How was he supposed to get out of this one?

“If I may, Your Honor—”

“You may not,” the court advisor interrupted Hyunjae immediately. “Lee Jaehyun, you were banished from this kingdom 20 years ago, who allowed you back in?”

“I did,” the Queen remarked lackadaisically. 

“Ah, Your Majesty.” The court advisor backed off nervously. “I see. Of course. But you have no right to speak in a royal court proceeding, halfling.”

Hyunjae sat back down, eyes blazing. 

Sunwoo opened his mouth, whether to fight back or continue his point, he wasn’t even sure.

“Your Highness,” the court advisor continued. “We have done a background check on your “mate.” Sunwoo growled at the _nerve._ To pause before saying _mate_ like it wasn’t even true… like they weren’t destined for each other and drawn together by the strings of fate…

The court advisor slammed a heavy folder down on his podium. He pored through the pages.

“Eric Sohn has been a faerie hunter for the past three years,” the court advisor read. A gasp arose from the jury.

“He has assisted in the taking of lives of countless fae. Assisting fellow hunter Lee Jaehyun, who is present, as well as two other hunters, who are not.”

The court advisor closed the folder and leaned over the edge of his podium, eyes boring into Sunwoo.

“This is not a hearing. This is a trial.” 

Sunwoo felt rooted to his spot, as immovable as the trees arching overhead. 

“What does that mean?” He heard Changmin whisper.

“Order, order!” The court advisor tried to calm the panicking jury down. “You aren’t in any danger, people.” He narrowed his eyes. “They are far outnumbered here.”

Sunwoo could have lunged for him right then and there, if he hadn’t glanced down and seen Eric struggling to stand beside him.

“What are you doing—” 

“They’re talking about me, I should say something—”

“No, just sit down—”

“We will be reviewing the crimes of Eric Sohn and determining his punishment for the remaining proceedings of the trial.”

“What?” Hyunjae shot to his feet. “That’s not fair, you can’t just ignore the reason we’re here—”

_“Silence, halfling!”_ The court advisor was blazing with fury. “You will not speak!”

Sangyeon tugged Hyunjae back down. 

“We will direct this trial however we want. We have acknowledged the issue brought up, but do not see it as plausible. Instead, we will discuss the human’s punishment.”

“No,” someone behind Sunwoo whispered. It might have been Kevin. He couldn’t bring himself to care.

“What makes you think yourself all powerful?” Sunwoo tried. “I have told you what I wish to examine in this hearing—”

“I am the court advisor. I have all the power here.” The court advisor turned to the queen. “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

Sunwoo pleaded with his mother silently. She saw him, he knew she did, saw the desperation in his eyes. 

“That’s correct, court advisor,” the Queen confirmed. 

Sunwoo didn’t care about titles anymore. He could have punched his mother in the fucking face right then and there.

“If there are no objections from the court or the jury, here is how we will proceed.” The court advisor templed his fingers and leaned forward. “The human Eric Sohn faces charges of numerous accounts of second-hand murder. He has participated in planning, assistance, and the finality of dozens of kills. The jury will come to a vote on whether he should receive the full punishment appropriate to his crimes.” The court advisor stared directly at Sunwoo. “The death penalty.” 

Sunwoo felt the breath leave his lungs. 

He was on his feet in a heartbeat, his clan beside him, all shouting and glaring and boiling over with rage. 

“This isn’t fair—”

“This can’t be legal—”

“You can’t do this!”

Sunwoo fought to keep his legs from giving out. The court advisor ignored the chaos and calmly asked the jury to come to a vote. 

“All in favor?” 

Sunwoo’s heart pounded. _They wouldn’t, they wouldn’t, they won’t, they won’t—_

Every single juror raised their hand.

The court advisor banged his gavel. Silence fell over the court once again.

“Justice has been decided. Eric Sohn will be imprisoned under the Woodland Fae Palace in the royal dungeons before he is put to death in a week’s time—”

Sunwoo was barely aware of the shouts around him, his clan shooting to their feet and surging forward. Eric, beside him, slid to the ground. Sunwoo lunged to catch him before his head hit the ground. He looked up in panic, but his clan was preoccupied swarming the court advisor’s podium.

“I demand a retrial! We have the right to a—”

“This wasn’t conducted fairly—”

“Give us a retrial you fucking loser excuse for a court—”

“If you’ll excuse me, Your Majesty.” The clan fell silent as a quiet voice broke through. The Queen smiled as Jacob squeezed forward. “We _do_ have the right to a retrial if we can procure a court-certified defense attorney, appropriate evidence, and at least one witness.”

“Do you have a witness?” The Queen asked.

_Forget that, how the fuck are we gonna get a certified attorney? One of their pawns would never help us—_

“Yes, we do.” Hyunjae was on his feet again, and this time, the queen raised her hand to stop the court advisor from cutting him off. “I call to witness Ju Haknyeon, Kim Younghoon, and Lee Juyeon. They can vouch for Eric and provide us evidence as well.”

The Queen narrowed her eyes. “You would call forward humans as witnesses?”

“For a case about a human? Yes, I would. They know him well.” Hyunjae met her gaze evenly. 

“Very well, then. A retrial will be given, and in the meantime, the accused will remain in the dungeons.”

“But Mother, he’s ill—” Sunwoo tried.

“No exceptions will be given,” the Queen said coldly. “You have a week to procure the witnesses. Until then, prepare your defense. I expect solid evidence.” Sunwoo felt chills as she looked directly at him.

This was a test. This was one of her _fucking_ tests to see how well he’d do. 

He’d show her.

Jacob rallied their clan together. Sangyeon had an arm around Hyunjae. 

Sunwoo held Eric’s unconscious body close. “Chanhee, what can I do—”

“Let me see him.” The healer took Eric gently as Jacob spoke to them. “I’ll take care of him. You just focus on the retrial.” 

Eric was so light Chanhee was able to hoist the human into his arms and carry him off.

“You really think Haknyeon, Younghoon, and Juyeon can turn this around for us?” Sangyeon asked Hyunjae. 

The hunter— or was it former hunter now?— nodded in affirmation. “I know they will.”

“What about the court-certified defense attorney? How are we supposed to get one of those?” Sunwoo almost wailed.

“Oh, that? No worries.” Jacob turned to look behind him. “We’ve already got one.” Sunwoo followed his gaze, over Jacob’s shoulder, where the only person who’d remained silent the majority of the trial stood, face obscured by his dark curly hair. Kevin Moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall hear that? sounds like... backstory time??  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	28. 28. Reshaping History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin's backstory is his to tell, so let's travel back a few hundred years and learn what he's been keeping from us....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please note that the emotions and experiences expressed in this chapter may not accurately represent the emotions and experiences of transgender identifying people, as i do not personally identify as transgender. this is simply my representation of the time period in my created world.

28\. Reshaping History

Sunwoo gripped the bars of the cell angrily. He was glad he hadn’t seen the court advisor since the hearing. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from stomping the rat’s skull in.

His Eric was slumped against the far wall of the cell, strands of silver hair streaking his dark head. He looked delicate and frail. 

“Let me in,” he demanded, barely sparing a glance at the guards. 

“We’re under strict orders not to let you in, Your Highness.”

Sunwoo turned to give the guard his best holier-than-thou royal expression. “Not to let anyone in? Or just me?”

The guard wavered. “Just you, Your Highness.”

Sunwoo’s lip curled. “Let me in or I will end your career this instant.”

The guard, to his credit, stood his ground. “We are under strict orders from Her Majesty the Queen—”

“I could _kill you_ and face absolutely no repercussions for it. Do you know how tempting you’re making it right now?”

The guard lifted his chin. “I am aware and am willing to accept—”

“Just let me the fuck in,” Sunwoo hissed. “I’m the one you’ll be left with when she’s gone. You should be more scared of me than her.”

The guard blinked, as if just realizing this.

“You didn’t think of what would happen to you when _I’m_ the monarch, did you?” Sunwoo sneered. “She doesn’t have much time left and you know it.”

“Speaking ill of the Queen behind her back is punishable by death, regardless of one’s royal status,” the guard said stiffly.

“Oh, and are you going to tell on me?” Sunwoo dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’m not the one with something to fear here.”

“No, but you’re the one with something to lose.” The guard’s gaze fell on Eric.

Sunwoo felt his rage boil over. “How _dare_ you—”

“Sunwoo?” The holding cell’s door slid open. “Oh, hey. We figured you’d be down here.” Jacob glanced between Sunwoo and the guard nervously. “Kevin has something to tell everyone.” 

Sunwoo turned to look at Eric helplessly. “He’ll be here when you come back,” Jacob pointed out.

Sunwoo gave the guard one last glare before he followed Jacob upstairs. “So what’s this about?” He folded his arms. “It better be worth dragging me out of there—”

“Trust me, it is.” Jacob led him down another wing. Not the one where the royals resided— but where the members of the council stayed when their respective sessions were meeting. 

“What are we doing down here?” Sunwoo wondered. 

“It’s how we’ll help win Eric’s case,” Jacob told him as he led him down the hall. “The court-certified defense attorney. A member of the council.”

“Oh, right. You said something about Kevin, right? Does he know somebody?” Sunwoo asked curiously as Jacob ushered him into a room.

“You could say that.” 

The room was instantly familiar. It brought years of memories flooding back. As early as he could remember, he’d come running to this room when he was sad. When he needed to feel arms around him, scooping him up and lifting him into the air. Reminding him that everything would be alright.

And the man who’d been in the room 98 years ago was still sitting on the bed now. Sunwoo had been too young to piece together what Kevin and Jacob were doing staying in this wing, what they’d been here for. Now it was starting to make sense.

Sangyeon, Chanhee, Changmin, and Hyunjae—who’d apparently joined the squad now— had arranged chairs around the bed. Kevin sat criss-crossed on the comforter, flipping through an old book.

Jacob settled down beside his mate and placed a reassuring arm around Kevin’s shoulders. 

“You ready, baby?” Jacob asked in a low voice, thumb stroking Kevin’s shoulder softly. 

Kevin took a breath. “I guess.” He tapped his fingers on the cover of the book absently. “But where to start.”

Chanhee smiled at him. “Maybe… around 300 years ago?”

Kevin smiled back. “Yeah. That’s as good a place to start as any.”

_300 years ago ~_

Kevin sipped at his beer, lip curling at the taste.

“You never like it any more every time you have it. I don’t know why you bother.” Chanhee sipped at his drink daintily, some fruity cocktail they usually only served to female patrons. 

“I’m claiming my manhood,” Kevin protested as he choked more of the foul drink down.

“You’re really not proving anything,” Chanhee pointed out, giving his mug a narrow look. 

“It’s psychological,” Kevin said with a sniff. 

“Sure, like your insistence on looking for your mate everywhere we go,” Chanhee snorted. Now it was Kevin’s turn to glare.

“Maybe I’m just tired of spending my time alone. You’re not much for company.”

_“Excuse me,”_ Chanhee scoffed. “Also, you’re only, like, 60. You need to chill with the soul-searching stuff.”

“I’m a soul-oriented guy.” Kevin placed his chin on his hands. “You want another drink? I’ll pay.”

Chanhee grinned. “Now you’re talking.” 

Keving grabbed their glasses— he could probably use a different drink anyway— and squeezed his way through the crowded pub to the cramped bar. 

“Hey.”

Kevin ignored the rough, growling voice in his ear. He waited patiently for the bartender to come refill their drinks.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me? I’m talkin’ to you!”

There was a gruff, burly man waving his arm in front of Kevin’s face, and even though the onset of panic twinged at the edge of his vision, he forced himself to remain cool. 

“What’s a pretty little girl like you doing here all by yourself?” The man had a sickly grin attached to his face. It made Kevin’s stomach roll in waves. He really thought he was passing well today. 

“You need a big, strong man to walk you home?” The large man sneered.

The bartender returned with their drinks. “I’m the only big strong man I need, sorry.” Kevin grabbed the drinks and forced his way back to Chanhee as quickly as he could. 

Chanhee was the more feminine of the two by far, and so he hated that he found relief in the other’s masculinity. 

“That guy harassing you?” Chanhee asked with narrowed eyes. 

“Doesn’t matter. Let’s just get out of here soon as we can.” Kevin kept his eyes in his mug the rest of the night.

It’s another night, another pub. 

Kevin liked to get out and about, despite his introverted personality. Chanhee came along reluctantly most nights.

“Hey, there’s live music tonight,” Chanhee remarked. “Might make things worthwhile.”

“Hope so.” Kevin focused on the musicians as they set up their instruments. A standard band set up, but….

There was a young man with a string instrument wearing a wide-brim hat that caught Kevin’s eye. He couldn’t say why… there was just something about him. 

Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of gleaming eyes beneath the brim of that hat. God, how it excited him to think of them watching him. 

Kevin kept his eyes on the musician all night. Out of the corner of his eye mostly, but when he opened his mouth to sing, Kevin couldn’t help but openly stare.

The man’s voice was high and heavenly, as if an angel themselves had descended to bless the pub’s patrons that evening. The crowd exploded in polite applause when the band finished, but Kevin sat still, stunned. 

Kevin watched as the musician made his way over to the bar. Without sparing a glance at Chanhee, who looked up in surprise, Kevin stood and followed the musician. 

He couldn’t make it three steps without feeling a hand on his ass.

A painfully drunk gentleman had never been taught to keep his hands to himself, and Kevin’s lip curled in disgust. 

He was probably trying to say something, but his words were so slurred Kevin couldn’t make them out. 

He tried to wiggle out of the man’s touch, but a large, hairy hand closed around his arm instead. Kevin struggled, to no avail. 

A hat was placed on the bar between Kevin and the man he fought against. Both pairs of eyes turned to look at the hat’s owner. 

“You alright?” The string-playing musician asked. With his hat removed, Kevin could see every detail of his face up close.

Dark caramel-colored hair offsetting tanned skin, high cheekbones and a _smile_ that could just _melt_ him. 

Kevin forgot about the man groping him for a moment. Because the offending arm was gone, he realized. And in its place was the musician’s arm snaking its way around his waist to tug him away from the creep still eyeing him.

The musician leaned in. “Are you alright, sir?”

His hearts may have leaped at this stranger identifying him correctly, and it definitely had nothing to do with the chills his voice sent down Kevin’s spine. 

“Fine,” Kevin squeaked. 

“Good.” The musician eyed him. “I haven’t seen you around here before.” He was slowly leading Kevin away from the bar, back towards where the less-influenced patrons were sat. As soon as they were far enough from the bar he dropped his arm. 

“Yeah, I like to check out new places, I guess.” Kevin hugged his arms to his body. 

“I didn’t catch your name,” the musician pointed out with a grin.

“Kevin,” Kevin told him with a flush. “Kevin Moon.”

“Jacob Bae.” They shook hands.

_Jacob._ Kevin turned the name over in his mind. He liked the way it sounded. It made his insides tingly. 

“Your name doesn’t sound like you’re from around here,” Jacob said. 

“From Canada, actually,” Kevin admitted. 

“No way! Me too.”

_Sounds like fate,_ Kevin thought, bemused. 

Jacob escorted him outside. The moment they were out in the fresh night air, Kevin noticed something out of the corner of his eye that he must have missed inside. No, he can’t have missed it— it was too obvious. The horns twisting out of his head and reaching up into the sky. 

“You’re woodland fae?” Kevin asked in astonishment. 

“Sure am,” Jacob affirmed. 

“Your glamour was so good!” Kevin exclaimed. “Mine are never that convincing.”

“I do a lot of work with faerie dust,” Jacob said quietly, glancing around. “Not the type that’s generally approved of. So… if you need help with anything, I can help you out.”

Jacob’s eyes said _I understand your situation._

Kevin’s hearts sped up. Seemed like they were just meant to be.

“What makes you think he’ll be there tonight?”

“He was last time!” Kevin peeked over the heads in front of them. “That’s all I’ve got to go on, okay?”

Chanhee rolled his eyes. “I think you’re getting a little too excited over one run-in with this guy.”

“It’s for good reason,” Kevin assured him. “Trust me.”

Kevin didn’t see Jacob at the pub the whole night. It’d been a week, sure, but Kevin had been hoping the band thing was a regular gig. God, he hoped it hadn’t been just a one time thing and he would never see Jacob again.

He drowned his sorrows in knocking back ale after ale. By his fifth drink he was having trouble getting to his feet on his way to the bar. 

“You should slow down a bit,” Chanhee said with a laugh.

“Nah,” Kevin slurred. “I think I should speed up.”

He staggered away from their table despite Chanhee’s protests. He stumbled towards the center of the pub. 

He bumped into patron after patron, his vision blurring. Oh no. He really did drink too much. 

A pair of arms caught him gently around the middle right before he could collapse. They held him firmly and half-dragged, half-carried him out of the pub.

“Where do you live?” A voice warbled faintly. 

“Hmm?” Kevin mumbled, wondering if he was somewhere it was appropriate to curl up on the ground and go to sleep.

“I’m taking you home. Where do you live?”

Kevin cracked an eye open. “Jacob?”

“I’m trying to help you, Kevin.”

“Thatta way.” Kevin waved a hand vaguely. 

Jacob sighed and hoisted him gently back into his arms. “Alright, thatta way it is.”

Somehow he managed to direct Jacob back to his little apartment. Jacob carried him into the bedroom and laid him down softly.

“You should stay,” Kevin said sleepily, grinning shyly.

“What?” Jacob looked panicked.

“Stay.” Kevin patted the bed beside him. Jacob hesitated. “I was looking for you tonight, you know,” he pouted.

“Me too,” Jacob surprised him by saying. “I’ve been coming every night since we first met last week.”

Kevin felt his head begin to clear. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Jacob scratched his head. “I hope you don’t remember this when you’re sober.” 

“I hope I do,” Kevin mumbled. Jacob’s hand landed on his head, and the soft strokes of his hair drifted him off to sleep.

“Are you ready?”

Kevin was ready to burst.

_“Ready?”_ Kevin grinned. “I’ve been ready for nearly a hundred years.”

At this point, he’d known Jacob for about 30. 

“It won’t hurt, but it might be uncomfortable.” Jacob unpacked the kit of faerie dust he used for performance of gender reformation magic. “You’re comfortable with me doing this?”

“Wouldn’t want it to be anyone else.” Kevin batted his eyelashes playfully.

“Okay, then strip for me.”

“Ooh, you really didn’t need all this pretense just to get me naked for you.” He’d gotten bolder with flirting, that’s for sure. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get tired of the way Jacob blushed for him. 

The magic flowed over him with the brushes of Jacob’s hands. They were soft, gentle, caring. The faerie dust settled on his skin, sinking into him, reshaping his genetics and matching them up with the way he was always meant to be. 

It was over sooner than he thought.

“You’re done?”

“Yep.”

Kevin wasn’t ready to look down. He wasn’t ready to see his body as he’d always wanted it to be.

His eyes welled with tears. “I—”

Jacob knelt beside him on the bed. “You need a minute?”

“I—” The words got stuck. “Thank you….” He leaned his head on Jacob’s shoulder. “How can I ever repay you for this?” Kevin asked in a broken whisper.

“Hm… well, maybe you can start with letting me treat you to a meal or two?” Jacob asked.

Kevin looked up at him. “Really?”

Jacob grinned shyly. 

“Do you hit on all your customers?”

“Just the ones I feel a mating bond with,” Jacob confessed.

Kevin’s eyes widened. 

“Oh, or maybe I totally misread things— I’m so sorry….” Jacob looked panicked again. 

“No, no, I felt it too—” Kevin grabbed his hands, lowering them and forcing the other faerie to look in his eyes. “I feel it too.”

“Haven’t you been working enough?” 

Kevin turned to look at his mate of 40 years as Jacob entered the cramped, candlelit bedroom. Kevin was hunched over the desk, 104 pages into his thesis.

“Can’t stop now,” Kevin pointed out. “I’m on a role.”

His law professor, transphobic as always, had put him on the spot again. He hadn’t been expecting Kevin to always be prepared for any argument, though.

“Actually,” Kevin would say, getting to his feet as all eyes in the classroom turned to him. “According to Clause 339, section 17, paragraph 5….”

He always had to work twice as hard as others to even have his voice heard. To stand a chance at making a ripple compared to their waves.

Jacob dropped his head onto Kevin’s shoulder, arms coming to wrap around his mate’s torso. “I can’t imagine they won’t listen to you when your points are based on facts and common sense.”

“They’ll do their best,” Kevin growled.

“Well, I’ll always listen to you.” Jacob tilted his head to smile up at him, and Kevin’s resolve shattered.

“Okay, fine.” He moved them to the bed, where Jacob pulled him against his chest, caging him in with his arms. “I’m just scared, I guess.”

Jacob curled his fingers through his hair. “I’m sure you are. I would be too.”

“I _need_ this degree. I need to argue this case, but there’s so much that could go wrong— I could be killed, _you_ could be killed— what if they try to separate us and I can never see you again?” 

Jacob pressed a gentle finger against Kevin’s lips before he could ramble himself into insanity. 

“None of that is going to happen. You know why? Because you’re too smart. You’re going to write and argue your way to freedom, and you’re going to pave the way for _literally thousands of people_ after you.”

Kevin’s eyes searched for his, but he was looking for more than just reassurance. “But how can you be sure?”

“Because I know you better than anyone else.” Jacob leaned their foreheads together. “Because I love you.”

Kevin exhaled softly. 

“You’re gonna kick ass at every trial you fight and you’re going to prove your transphobic professor _wrong._ I know you will. And once they see you, and hear what you have to say, there’s no _way_ they won’t listen.”

Kevin buried his head in Jacob’s shoulder. “Okay.”

“Now why don’t you get some sleep and get back to work tomorrow morning?” Jacob asked gently, unaware of the fresh fire burning in Kevin’s eyes. 

“Sure.”

Kevin waited until Jacob’s breathing evened out, until his hold on Kevin’s waist slackened, to slip out of his arms and return to his desk. 

Kevin removed his top hat as he entered the bookshop, expecting to be greeted by Changmin, the smiley front desk worker, before heading up to his apartment on the second level. 

Instead, Jacob was waiting for him in the entryway, flanked by two surly looking men armed with swords. 

_Is this a robbery?_ Kevin’s heart leapt in panic. The first thing his mind flew to is where he kept Jacob’s heart, tucked in the secret compartment at the back of the notebook in which he’d written his 200-page thesis.

Jacob cleared his throat. “You have a guest, Kevin.”

“Oh,” said Kevin, bewildered.

“She’s waiting for you upstairs.” 

Kevin studied the two men beside him. Both woodland fae, from the horns. They stood backs straight, eyes trained ahead. Kevin stepped around them warily. 

Jacob gave him a confused smile and squeezed his hand as he passed. “Don’t worry! Everything will be fine.”

Kevin gave him a befuddled shake of the head. What was going _on?_

He ascended the stairs to their apartment slowly, the steps creaking beneath his boots. He sniffed the air tentatively, but he couldn’t pick up anything other than old books and woodland fae and faerie dust. And something else, too, he realized, as he pushed open the door. Something powerful.

There was a woman sitting on the couch in their living room. Long auburn hair, tanned skin, a crown of thorns and roses resting on her horns. 

Kevin dropped into a low bow immediately, heat rushing to his face as panicked thoughts ran through his mind. “Your Majesty!” He cried, straightening back up. “What an honor, to what— what do I deserve—”

His stammering was met by an amused smile on the lips of the Queen of the Woodland Fae. 

“Please, Kevin, sit,” said the Queen, as if this wasn’t his apartment. 

Kevin sat, legs shaking. 

“I read your thesis.”

Kevin’s eyes bugged out of his head. “You— what? But, Your Majesty—”

“I found it quite compelling.” The Queen sat forward, steepling her fingers beneath her chin. “I’d like to offer you a chance to argue your case in the Royal Woodland Court. In order to pass a law that makes faeries of transgender identities legally able to access gender reaffirming magic. That _is_ what you’re fighting for, isn’t it?”

Kevin’s mouth flopped open and closed for quite a bit. “Yes, yes, it is….”

“It has come to my attention that your mate performed the magic on you… _under the table,_ as it was.”

Kevin’s heart seized. “Jacob was just—”

The Queen waved a hand. “Oh, you won’t face any penalties, don’t worry. It’s about time the laws are overturned, anyway.”

Kevin blinked. The Queen of the Woodland Fae was not typically known to be so progressive. 

The Queen tapped her finger on her chin. “Once you have completed your studies— and I’ll see to it that you do, free of charge—” Once again, Kevin felt his eyes almost pop. “You will become a court-certified defense attorney in order to legally argue your case before the Royal Woodland Court. Unfortunately, I have no sway over their decision, but….” A coy smile played across her lips. “You do.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Kevin said, breathless.

“We will be able to make precautions in the meantime, but the process of setting a court date might take a while.”

“Ah.” Kevin’s shoulders slumped.

“So based on your thesis, laws can be enacted, but they cannot be officiated.”

Kevin did not understand the difference.

“So while it won’t be legal, no repercussions will come to those who engage in gender reformation magic.”

“Oh!” Kevin sat up. “Okay. Thank you. How long… how long will the court date take to set?”

“Hmm… well, we’ve got a long line ahead of us, but I’ll push it to the front and make it a priority.” The Queen winked. 

“Thank you,” Kevin said in surprise.

“You seem surprised.”

“No, no— I’m just— I’m just very grateful.”

“You did not expect me to be this empathetic,” the Queen observed. “Be honest.”

Kevin slumped. “No, I didn’t.”

The Queen smiled. “You see, despite knowing that I am getting on in age—” Kevin didn’t know how old the Queen actually was. “I have recently been attempting to produce an heir.”

You mean _have a child?_ Kevin wanted to say.

“But I have not been successful so far.”

“Oh,” Kevin said softly. “I’m very sorry.”

The Queen smiled. “But it has made me value life for what it’s worth much more delicately. And I want all creatures under my kingdom to have an equal chance at the life they want.”

Kevin shot to his feet and bowed again, suddenly feeling himself overwhelmed with emotion. “Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

The Queen rose to her feet gracefully, her round eyes sparkling in bemusement. “I expect you’ll do great things, Kevin Moon.” 

Kevin looked up, and she was gone.

“Wow,” Sunwoo said. Silence fell. “I didn’t— I mean, I would never have—” Kevin watched him nervously. “Thank you for telling us.”

Kevin reached for his hand with a smile.

“I can’t believe I never knew. I mean, I knew you must have been a council member, but I didn’t know what for….”

“Kevin initiated the Woodland Faerie Council for Transgender Rights and Acceptance. They meet every decade. I believe you met him when we arrived for the seventh meeting,” Jacob informed him.

“Oh.” Sunwoo blinked. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

Jacob frowned. “Really?”

“Wasn’t in my history books,” Sunwoo offered. 

“Yes, but royal education… you’d think….” Kevin and Jacob exchanged a secretive glance.

“Anyway. Now we know who’s representing Eric in court, right?” Sangyeon spoke up. “Thank you, Kevin. That was very brave of you to share.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Kevin shrank back in on himself. He was playing with something in the back of the book beside him. A latch, it looked like. A secret compartment buried in the depths of a book of memories. 

“Whatever happens, we’ll be ready,” Jacob promised. He met Sunwoo’s gaze with a determined smile. “And trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about. The best lawyer in the Woodland Fae Kingdom is going to clear your name. It’s time we reshape history.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the pieces are coming together as they prepare for the retrial... how do you guys think its gonna go? any theories??  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @dazzlingsundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	29. 29. Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyone else forget younghoon and haknyeon were in this fic? yeah, me too. /j  
> the day is finally here! lets see how the retrial goes....

29\. Free

“He ghosting you too?”

Younghoon struggled to keep the sympathy out of his voice. It was hard, too— Haknyeon just looked so depleted.

“Yeah! I mean, I tried to be supportive, but….”

“Well, he told you he has a boyfriend, you were confused but you did your best….” Younghoon stabbed his fork into his salad. “You did all you could, I think.”

The two hunters were lunching at a cafe outside, taking advantage of the heat that came with approaching summer. 

A sleek yellow sports car pulled up to the curb in front of them. Haknyeon whistled. “Who can afford a car like that and still come to a place like this?”

Younghoon shrugged. “Everyone can appreciate underpriced food.” He turned back to his burger while Haknyeon squinted at the driver of the car.

“He looks familiar….” Haknyeon mused.

“Okay?” Younghoon waved a fry in the air. “So what?”

“He’s that guy from the shop,” Haknyeon realized. “The one Hyunjae knew.”

“Which guy?”

“The faerie.”

_That_ got Younghoon’s attention. The young man was picking his way through the tables towards him, looking out of place in a slim black turtleneck and vinyl leather pants. 

“He’s coming towards us,” Haknyeon warned.

“Shit, what’d we do?” Younghoon tried to hide behind his food. “Did we kill one of his buddies, or something?”

“Ju Haknyeon and Kim Younghoon?”

“Yeah?” Haknyeon squeaked from where both he and Younghoon were trying to fit under the table.

“I’d like you to come with me.”

“Whoa, what, are you the police, or something?” Haknyeon sniffed.

“No.” The faerie— Juyeon, his name was— met his eyes evenly. “Eric’s life is in danger. He needs your help.”

“Eric?” Younghoon jolted up. “What happened? Where is he?”

“At the Woodland Fae Palace.”

“Huh?” Haknyeon and Younghoon exchanged a glance. “How’d he get there?”

“Can’t tell you. But I need you to come with me.” When the hunters stayed silent, Juyeon added, “Otherwise he’s going to be executed today.”

They didn’t need any more context than that. Haknyeon swept everything out of his way and grabbed their bags. “I hate to dine and dash, but this seems more important.”

Juyeon tossed a wad of bills onto the table. “Gotchu covered.”

Haknyeon’s eyes widened. “Oh, damn.”

They settled into Juyeon’s yellow Lamborghini. 

“So…” Haknyeon drummed his fingers on the expensive leather. “Which way to the Woodland Fae Palace?”

Juyeon’s foot hit the gas. They left the city, trees blurring around them, whirling together until they arrived at a place distinctively farther from where they’d just been. “Sangyeon taught me how to warp here,” Juyeon explained as they exited the car, Haknyeon and Younghoon stumbling over their feet. 

“Who?”

“Oh, right.” Juyeon blinked. “Well, we’re here illegally, so you’ll meet them soon enough.”

“Huh?”

“We’re what?”

The Woodland Fae Palace was tucked into a valley the three of them had to hike down into. The wooden spires looked like vampire stakes. Younghoon swallowed. 

A man dressed in a uniform met them at the gates. “This way towards the palace.” A single nod from their escort made the rest of the guards leave them be.

“Who is this guy?” Haknyeon hissed, clinging closer to Juyeon. 

“That’s Sangyeon. Captain of the Royal Guard. Recently reinstated.”

“And you know him _how?”_

“Old friend. He’s— well, it’s actually a funny story. Because you know Jaehyun. I mean Hyunjae.” Juyeon scratched his head. “Not that funny a story, now that I think about it…”

“Where are the Crown Prince’s quarters?” Sangyeon asked a passing servant. “I need to take these witnesses there immediately.”

“Shouldn’t you know?” Juyeon asked with a grin. Sangyeon flushed. 

“It’s been a while, okay?”

Juyeon frowned. “Shouldn’t they speak with the defense attorney?”

“Kevin? No. Not yet. They’ll want to see Eric, right?”

“Eric? Eric’s here?” Haknyeon yelped.

“Why is he in the Crown Prince’s quarters?” Younghoon asked warily. “Has he been turned into a human slave?”

“No. He _is_ a Crown Prince,” Sangyeon explained. 

Haknyeon spluttered. Younghoon’s jaw dropped. “He’s what?”

“Pretty sure Eric is human, last I checked—”

“Not for long.” Sangyeon led them up a winding set of stairs. He knocked on a door flanked by four heavily armed guards. “It’s me, Your Highness.”

An incoherent mumble was the response they got. Younghoon felt his stomach twist. Eric was in there? Why? What had happened without their knowing?

“Can we have your clearance to visit the dungeon, Sunwoo?” Now that the door was closed and the guards out of hearing, Sangyeon spoke informally. 

The young man sitting on the bed was—

“Wait,” Haknyeon said. “You’re the one—” He turned to Sangyeon. “I _knew_ you looked familiar!”

“Yeah, you broke into our house.” Sunwoo swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. “It’s cool though. If you’re helping us, I mean.” He crossed the floor and came to stand before them. “I’m Eric’s mate.”

Younghoon eyed the circlet wrapping his horns. “You’re royalty.”

“I’m the prince.”

Haknyeon frowned. “The _only_ prince?”

Sunwoo quirked an eyebrow. “You planning on assassinating me?” He gestured to Sangyeon. “You won’t get far.”

“No, no, of course not!” Haknyeon yelped. “Um— we’re here for Eric.”

“I should hope so.” Sunwoo’s eyes burned brighter. He turned to Sangyeon. “They won’t let me see him.”

“What?” This was news to Sangyeon. “But you’re—”

“I know. They had to knock me out with a tranquilizer to get me to leave him when I broke into his cell.”

Haknyeon snorted. Then he processed what the Crown Prince had said. “Wait, cell?”

Sunwoo turned those piercing eyes on Haknyeon. “They’re keeping him locked in the dungeons until the trial tonight.” At the hunters’ dismayed expressions, he added, “Believe me, I’m mad about it too. But trust me, there’s nothing I can too. They’re all too loyal to my mother.” He glanced towards Sangyeon. “Idiots.”

“Well, isn’t she the queen?” Haknyeon inquired.

“Yes, but she’s…” Sunwoo trailed off. “Not well. It took her a while to get with child. Her health has never been the best.” He squared his shoulders. “It’ll be my throne soon enough. And it’d be smartest if people started acting like it.”

“Logically, it’d be better to be on the good side of the next monarch who’ll be ruling for centuries, rather than being on the good side of the incompetent one who could keel over any day now.” Sangyeon squeezed Sunwoo’s shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?” Sunwoo grinned. 

Younghoon gaped. Isn’t that— Shouldn’t that be punishable by death? Openly conspiring against the Queen, as it were?

“Have we met before?” Haknyeon blurted, looking at Sunwoo. To Younghoon’s surprise, the faerie prince blushed.

“Probably when you were trying to kill us.”

“Yeah, maybe….” Haknyeon’s eyes widened. “Wait, that night at the club, you—”

“Anyway,” Sunwoo interrupted. “They might let you in if you’re with Kevin. He can debrief you on how the court will go.” Sunwoo retreated to sit on his bed again. Younghoon felt his heart twist for the guy. He clearly loved Eric. It couldn’t have been easy, seeing people he hated getting to see his mate instead of him.

“I’m sorry,” Younghoon said, unsure of how much it would help things.

Sunwoo looked up in surprise. He gave Younghoon a small smile. “Thanks.”

They left the prince’s chambers. 

“Where to now, boss?” Haknyeon asked. Juyeon kept glancing over his shoulder as if looking for somebody he knew.

“Now we wait for Kevin to take us down to the dungeons,” Sangyeon explained. “It’s not like him to be—”

“What? Late?” 

A tall, dark haired woodland faerie approached them. He was pale, with high cheekbones and damp curls covering his forehead.

Haknyeon squinted at him. “Didn’t I steal your heart?”

Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Yes, he did,” Sangyeon interrupted. “But we got it back, so no hard feelings.”

“Um?” Kevin sounded offended as Sangyeon herded them towards the iron gate that led down to the dungeons. “It’s my heart! All the offense, I should think.”

They stopped outside the elevator. “You’re kidding me,” Sangyeon groaned.

“What?” Kevin asked in alarm.

“It’s broken.”

“So….” Juyeon glanced around. “That means… what?”

“We take the stairs.” All eyes turned to the black hole of a stone spiral staircase hidden away in the corner. “Alllllll the way down.” Kevin did not sound thrilled.

Haknyeon gulped. “How many flights is that, exactly?”

“120, give or take.”

Younghoon wrinkled his nose as Sangyeon pulled out a torch. He lit the flame and they began their descent. 

“Anyone know any good stories?” Haknyeon ventured. 

“Oh, I’ve got one,” Kevin jumped immediately. “Wanna hear about Sunwoo as a baby?”

“Oh my _God, yes,”_ Haknyeon cackled.

“Okay, so I met him for the first time when he was about two years old. So, 98 years ago…..”

_98 years ago~_

“You shouldn’t stress yourself out, dear, you’ve done this every decade—”

“I know, I know—”

“So you know there’s nothing to worry about—”

Kevin paced his councilman chambers restlessly, tugging at his horns. Jacob glanced at the clock standing in the corner, the pendulum swinging hypnotically.

“I’m gonna take a walk,” Jacob said with a sigh, wrapping his arms around Kevin from behind. “Are you gonna be alright?”

“Yeah.” Kevin’s shoulders relaxed. “The meeting’s not for another hour.”

“See? It’ll be fine.”

Jacob drifted out the door and left Kevin stewing in his thoughts.

The door creaked open again a surprisingly short time later.

“You’re back soon,” Kevin remarked from his position on the bed. He couldn’t see beyond the tiny crack the door had opened, but it had been barely ten minutes.

The door was pushed open, swinging into the room all the way. A bumbling toddler waddled in, half-rolling, half-crawling towards Kevin. 

The young woodland boy somersaulted to a stop besides Kevin’s feet. “Hi,” the infant giggled.

Kevin blinked.

_“Baby!”_ He screamed not a second later, and scooped the child emphatically into his arms. “My goodness, where did you come from?” 

Kevin bounced the baby carefully in his arms. It looked like it could just barely walk. Couldn’t have been older than two.

“My mommy said I should play with my friends,” the toddler told him.

“Okay, where are your friends?” Kevin set the boy down on the bed. 

“I don’t know who they are!” The boy declared, pawing through Kevin’s book. He carefully pried it out of the toddler’s hands.

“You don’t know who they are?” Kevin asked quizzically.

“Mommy said “friends”! But I don’t know who friends is!”

“Ah.”

Kevin did some very fast thinking.

“Well, I’ll be your friend!”

The boy looked up from where he was trying to wiggle into the space between Kevin’s side and the crook of his elbow. “You will?”

“Sure!” Kevin stroked down the boy’s burgundy hair. His horns were growing in quickly, startling sharp and jagged considering his big round raccoon eyes and squishy baby face. “What’s your name?”

“Sunwoo!”

Kevin froze. He ignored the baby grabbing for his horns. Surely it had to be a different Sunwoo, right? 

Because there was no way the Queen’s newborn son and only heir had just stumbled into his bedroom by accident.

“Who are you?”

Kevin drew his eyes back to the mildly drooling toddler. He wiped the boy’s mouth with his sleeve and said, “I’m Kevin.”

“Kebin?” Baby Sunwoo echoed.

Kevin paused. “Yeah, sure.”

“Hi Kebin!” Sunwoo waved. Kevin picked him back up and lifted him up in the air. 

“Where’s your mommy?” He asked worriedly.

“I dunno!” Sunwoo flailed his little limbs. “She said “Bye-bye”!”

“She said bye-bye?” Kevin failed at translating the toddler-speak.

“Yes! She went to hang out with grownups. She said bye-bye to Sunwoo!”

“Ah, she had a meeting.” Kevin squinted at the prince. “Where are your caretakers?”

Sunwoo giggled. “I don’t know that word.”

“You know a lot of words for a boy your age,” Kevin remarked. “I’m surprised you can talk so much.”

“I”m a prince,” Sunwoo said boldly. “This is gonna be my kingdom some day.” His large eyes suddenly grew worried. “But you’ll still be my friend, right?”

“Of course,” Kevin assured him, although he had absolutely no idea where he’d be hundreds of years from then. “I’ll always be your friend.”

Needless to say, Jacob was very surprised to return to their room and see his mate with a baby. “Should we have the “children talk”?” He asked as Kevin put Sunwoo down for a nap. 

“We’ve been over this. Children are inevitable.” Kevin rested his chin on his hands. “But they don’t have to be infants for us to adopt them.”

It was 80 years later when Kevin had another memorable run-in with Sunwoo. He’d seen him every decade, whenever he had a visit for the Council meeting, but he hadn’t spotted a glimpse of the prince at the last one. He wasn’t even certain the prince knew his Council existed.

Kevin was leaving the meeting, his back stiff and his joints sore, when he saw a familiar brigade of royal guards making their way down the hall. 

“Sunwoo!” He called in surprise. The guards’ expressions stiffened at this Council member addressing the Crown Prince by first name. Kevin felt a jab of nervousness. What if Sunwoo didn’t remember him? What if he had gone through royal puberty and decided not to associate with him anymore?

“Kevin?” The prince looked up from the scrolls he was studying. “Oh, it is you!” The prince dropped his scrolls and sprinted forward to squeeze Kevin into a hug. “Oh, wow, it’s been ages!”

Sunwoo had grown a lot in the last 20 years. He was practically an _adult_ now.

“Hold on, are—” Kevin squinted. “Are you _taller_ than me?”

Sunwoo grinned. “It was going to happen eventually.”

“No, no it wasn’t. I never signed up for—”

A wail broke through their conversation. Sunwoo tensed. That mature look Kevin had begun to notice took over his expression. The one that put his kingdom and his people first.

“What was that?” 

The guards shifted uncomfortably. 

Kevin shot a worried glance at the prince. “You stay here.” He doubled back down the hall.

“Kevin!” Jacob was running towards him.

What sounded like a whiplash cracked through the air, followed by a scream and sobs.

“What’s going on?” Kevin asked as his mate grabbed him in his arms. A second voice joined in the tortured cacophony now, and it sounded more like coherent words this time. Someone begging.

“I don’t know, I don’t know—”

“Councilman Moon. Mr Bae.” A servant appeared at their side. Kevin searched for Sunwoo. Looked like the guards had ushered him away. “The Queen wishes to see you in the throne room.” Kevin and Jacob exchanged a glance. “Please avoid the Southern courtyard.” The guard swallowed. “It is not a pleasant sight.”

The whiplashes had stopped. As had the persistent screaming and wailing. The second voice, the one that had been begging and pleading, had quieted as well. 

They hesitantly made their way to the throne room. The doors parted for them, and inside was—

Jacob dipped his head to Sunwoo, who stood stiffly before his mother. Kevin squeezed the prince’s shoulder. 

The Queen sat on her throne, back straight and eyes like a hawk. Chanhee and Changmin came to stand beside Kevin, but their eyes were all fixed on the same person.

Sangyeon was kneeling before the throne, what appeared to be a mangled corpse sprawled before him.

Then the corpse twitched and whined, and Kevin realized it was still alive. 

Once silky blonde hair was clotted with blood. What should have been a back was ripped and torn, hundreds upon hundreds of whiplashes that would hurt until the day he died. Hands and arms bruised, legs long lost their ability to stand.

“Who….” Jacob whispered.

“Oh,” Kevin said softly. That was the man, the one he’d seen, the day he’d gone into Sangyeon’s room just to grab something….

There’d been a golden-skinned man, so clearly not woodland fae, and he’d been so panicked to see Kevin. 

_I won’t hurt you,_ he’d assured the man. _I won’t tell anyone. I’m a friend._

He should have known it wouldn’t last long either way.

“Lee Sangyeon has been stripped of his title, temporarily, for breaking the mating laws,” the Queen explained. A soft chorus of sympathetic pain echoed from Sangyeon’s gathered friends. “As punishment, and because I think you could all use some character building—” Kevin raised his eyebrows. “I will be putting Sangyeon in charge of you as a clan for the next 20 years.”

Silence fell. Then the wake of cacophony broke.

“You’re what—”

“Mother, you can’t possibly—”

“Is this for real?”

“But why—”

“Man, fuck those mating laws….”

“This is not up for debate.” The Queen gave them all an icy smile. “I hope you enjoy your trip!”

“So yeah. The Queen’s a bit of an….” Kevin glanced up at Juyeon. “How did you put it?”

“Hard-ass?” Juyeon suggested.

“I was thinking bitch, but that too.”

Younghoon shook his head. He couldn’t believe they could critique the Queen so freely. “So what do we do at the court?”

“Oh.” Kevin smiled. “Well, you’ll do this.”

_Younghoon will speak on why Eric became a hunter._

Younghoon took a breath as he sat down. The court was terrifying, but at least his part was over.

_Haknyeon will talk about Eric’s interest in fae culture and how he changed his mind on being a hunter._

Haknyeon was trembling when he sat back down. The jury whispered among themselves, loud and clearly debating. Kevin fidgeted. Sunwoo adjusted the barely-conscious Eric’s head on his shoulder. Their young human-for-not-much-longer friend was _not_ looking too great.

_Juyeon will speak about Eric’s relationship with Sunwoo, and how he helped the fae using his hunter knowledge to save lives._

Juyeon faced the Court Advisor with a lifted chin and determination in his eyes. Beside Younghoon, the healer faerie, Chanhee leaned forward desperately.

After Juyeon’s part, the jury practically exploded. 

“Court Advisor!” One juror rose to her feet. “Wouldn’t this have been critical information to inform us of before we passed the death penalty verdict?”

The Court Advisor simply waved her off. This angered the jury even more.

“This is good,” Hyunjae whispered. Seeing him at the palace had been a surprise. Even more so when he revealed he was actually Sangyeon’s mate, and had been allowed to stay at the palace for the duration of the trial. They’d probably all have to leave after this. “They don’t like the Court Advisor brushing them off. I think they’re seeing our side.”

It lifted Younghoon’s spirits. Especially when Kevin stepped up.

“The defense will now present their argument. We will hear from their court-certified defense attorney.”

Eric raised his head. Kevin turned to meet each of their eyes. This was it. This was life or death.

Kevin turned around slowly, raising his head to meet the penetrating gaze of the Court Advisor. His long coat snapped around his ankles as he walked forward into the center of the court.

“Life,” he said. “is not in our hands.”

The jury seemed startled.

“So it’s funny,” Kevin continued. “That you think you have the right to take it away so easily.” He began to pace back and forth. “The Queen tried numerous times to bear an heir, and was only successful once.” He pointed to Sunwoo. “So it’s obvious that he is fated to be our future king, since only he was determined worthy enough to be born into our graced royal family.”

“Huh?” Younghoon muttered.

“There’s a fae belief about the worthiness of souls who are born— it’s a bit complicated,” Hyunjae hissed back.

“And so why would his mate, fated for him through all lifetimes since the beginning of time, be someone who does not deserve life also?”

The jury began muttering amongst themselves again.

Kevin spoke for about half an hour. About mating bonds, about the determination to fight to be with who you love. He spoke about his own struggles, about what Eric and Sunwoo had gone through. He spoke about change. About growth. It was astonishing how he’d managed to come up with so much. Several of the jurors were in tears by the time he finished.

“The jury will now discuss,” The Court Advisor declared.

The clan collapsed into exhaustion. They’d done all they could. Now it was up to fate.

“Fate’s always been on our side,” Sunwoo muttered, threading his fingers through his mate’s. “Please, let it be on our side just one more time.”

The Court Advisor banged his gavel once more. All heads jerked towards him in a panic. But a verdict still did not come. Several jurors were arguing with him. He gestured towards the Queen as he responded. 

The last juror flipped him off as she took her seat again. Younghoon couldn’t help but snort.

“Regretfully, the verdict has been reached,” the Court Advisor intoned.

Younghoon’s heart seized. 

“Regretfully?” Someone whispered.

“What does that mean—”

Younghoon watched Sunwoo’s eyes become scared, then furious. The young prince started to rise to his feet. There was murder in those eyes, he could tell. 

“It is decided that Eric Sohn will be escorted to the fae capital of Fantasia. The council will arrange to convince the Fae Empress to perform the fae ceremony at the Tree of Language, but—” The court exploded in screams and cheers. The Court Advisor banged his gavel again. “There is no guarantee she will agree—”

Everyone was crying. Sunwoo had swept Eric into his arms, the human suddenly more lively than he had been in weeks.

“They did it,” Younghoon said, astonished.

“Um,” Kevin butted in. Jacob had his arms wrapped around his mate’s shoulders and was planting sloppy kisses all over his face and neck. _“We_ did it.”

“That’s the love of my life,” Jacob sighed. “Saving people’s lives. You’re so sexy.”

Younghoon inched away.

“You’ll be okay, you’ll be okay, you’ll be okay.” Another couple was celebrating, but much less high tension. Sunwoo had sunk to his knees beside Eric on the ground. Now that he was officially freed, royal medics were assisting him. “I promised you I’d get us through this. I’ll never break my promises to you.”

There was more magic than the type being used to soothe pain that day. 

Younghoon thought of how much Kevin must have researched, the laws he had to study, the nights he must have spent awake poring over his defense. There was the type of magic that comes from selflessness, he figured. 

He thought of Sunwoo, passionately dedicated to his mate and willing to do anything for him. Willing to fight, to kill, to die. To walk through fire or fan the flames. There was the type of magic that came from love, he supposed.

And he thought of Eric, struggling against his poison but still comforting his mate. Lifting his chin in the face of the court and unafraid of whatever verdict they would pass. The way he trembled but held on despite the pain. And the way he relaxed now, finally able to accept that there were those willing to fight for him. There were those who would stop at nothing until they could all have freedom. Because there was the type of magic that came from being free, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eric has been freed of his fate! will the fae empress help?  
> if youre curious as to why haknyeon has sunwoo so flustered, refer to chapter 11....  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop (new @!)  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	30. 30. Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment of truth arrives! They're off to the capitol. How will the Fae Empress handle the situation...??
> 
> [This chapter contains NSFW content]

30\. Ceremony

Eric blinked his eyes open blearily. “Where are we going?” He mumbled sleepily. He could barely stay awake for long now. The last thing he remembered was the retrial, but he couldn’t recall anything that happened. 

“To the capital,” came the voice attached to the hand stroking his hair. 

Eric narrowed his eyes at the strands hanging in his face. “What’s this?” He tugged at a few strands of his dark hair.

“Um.” Sunwoo’s hand paused. “I think the stress of the poison gave you some highlights, babe.”

“I have gray hairs?” Eric sighed. “At the ripe age of 19?”

Sunwoo kissed his head and said, “That’s alright, you’ve got hundreds of years to make them fashionable.”

“Hundreds?” How could he have hundreds of years…? “Wait, did it work?”

“Yeah, baby, we won.” Sunwoo matched Eric’s wild tone with a soft timbre. “We’re heading to the Empress now.” 

Eric struggled out of Sunwoo’s arms to peek out the window. They were in some sort of carriage, it felt like, and the trees were whipping by faster than they would if they were travelling in any sports car.

“Is she going to help me?” Eric asked as he fell back against his mate. Sunwoo’s arms came around him again. Eric turned and pressed his face into Sunwoo’s side. He’d _missed_ his mate, so much. Being in that cell with nothing but the cold floor beneath him and the thin blanket to curl up under had _literally_ almost killed him. 

“I’m sure she will.” Sunwoo’s fingers curled through his hair. “She’s not like my mother.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see,” Sunwoo said with a smile on his lips. Then he paused. “You’re talking an awful lot.”

“I feel better,” Eric said, pushing himself up to peer over the seat. There were a few other rows, occupied by a napping Kevin leaning on Jacob’s shoulder. Sangyeon was sitting in the front row, frowning down at his phone. “I feel like I can breathe easier. It makes me feel better.”

“Yeah?” Sunwoo’s round eyes met his in concern. “Maybe it’s because we’re getting closer to the capital. It’s said the atmosphere is supposed to be healing there.”

“Oh. That’s nice.” Eric closed his eyes again.

“We won’t have much time to explore, though,” Sunwoo said worriedly. “So, I’m sorry—”

Eric slapped a hand over Sunwoo’s mouth. “I don’t want to hear you apologizing.”

Sunwoo blinked. “Ok….”

“You promised you’d save me and you did.” Eric blinked up at him, eyes wide and enchanting. “Thank you.” He pushed himself up with the rest of the strength in his arms to kiss Sunwoo. 

Sunwoo adjusted his arms around his mate so Eric didn’t have to hold himself up, letting the human-for-not-much-longer boy sink into him as their lips were reintroduced after too long.

“Looks like someone’s feeling better.” Kevin was awake, and he was being snarky.

“Why did you two get to come along, again?” Sunwoo sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Excuse me, we practically raised you,” Jacob countered, offended.

Sunwoo snorted. “Yeah, alright, old man.”

“We’ll be there soon,” Sangyeon announced from in front of them. He smiled. “How are you feeling, Eric?”

Eric yawned. “Sleepy.” Then he frowned. “Still hurts, though.”

“It won’t hurt for long,” Sunwoo promised. “By tonight, you’ll be all better.”

Eric rested his head on Sunwoo’s shoulder tiredly. “I don’t even remember what better feels like.”

Eric felt Sunwoo shift beneath him, and finally let himself relax. He was safe now. Sunwoo was here, and he would protect him. His mate’s arms around him caged him in, keeping him safe from the world outside.

When Eric woke again, he was in a bed. The room was similar to Sunwoo’s chambers at the Woodland Fae Palace, but instead of wood, the walls were made of sculpted marble. Everything was white, colorful accents popping out of the decor. 

“The Empress wants to meet you tonight,” Sunwoo greeted him, reaching out to stroke his hair.

“You spoke with her?” Eric asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

Sunwoo smiled and nodded. “She seemed very happy to see me. I was surprised— I wasn’t expecting that. But yeah, she’s going to meet with you. Are you up to that?”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Eric tried to sit up, and immediately regretted it.

“What? What’s wrong?” Sunwoo leaned forward in concern.

“I’m…” Eric reached down to feel his stomach. Sunwoo inched closer. “Hungry.”

“Oh.” Sunwoo smiled. “Yay! That’s great!”

“Is it,” Eric moaned as he flopped back onto his pillow.

“Yes! Please eat!” Sunwoo pushed a full tray of breakfast delicacies towards him. Toast, eggs, fruit, meats, butter and jam and tea and juice.

“Wow, they were prepared,” Eric observed. His eyes fluttered closed again.

“If you need, I can feed you.”

Eric cracked an eye open. “Well, if you’re offering…”

Sunwoo sighed. “I said if you _need—”_

Eric smiled and kissed him. “I love you.”

Sunwoo blinked at the sudden teary expression in Eric’s eyes. “I— I love you too, but are you—”

“I’m just—” Eric rubbed at his eyes as he pulled the breakfast tray towards him. “I feel like this is my fault.” He glanced out the window, where trees of all colors of the rainbow speckled the grounds of their guest house. The best possible accommodations, for royalty only.

“None of this is your fault, baby,” Sunwoo argued. “If anything it’s mine—” 

Eric shook his head. “No, no—” He bit delicately into a piece of sausage. “Oh shit, this is _fantastic—”_

Sunwoo looked like he might cry when Eric started eating.

“Let’s put this behind us, alright?” He rubbed a hand down Eric’s back. “We’ll start a new life together, and we’ll have centuries—”

“Oh, shit.” Eric dropped his fork. 

“What? What? What happened?” Sunwoo was on him in an instant, hands cupping his face.

“My parents.”

“Oh.”

“How am I supposed to explain this to them?” Eric asked helplessly, eyes staring off at nothing.

“Don’t worry about that now. We’ll face it later.” Sunwoo took his hands and squeezed them between his own. “But I’ll help you. With everything. You’ll never have to deal with anything by yourself ever again.” 

Eric hesitated before returning to his food. Sunwoo kept an arm around him, watching over him carefully.

“I’ll _always_ be here.”

“You’re not coming with me?” The panic Eric had pushed aside in the morning began to set in again.

“I can’t, babe, it has to just be you,” Sunwoo explained frantically. 

“But what am I supposed to do, you have to explain everything to her—”

Sunwoo grabbed Eric’s arms and led him away from the rest of the group. The Exalted Guards of the Fae Empress were waiting to escort them into the coveted gardens of Fantasia, where, at the center, the Tree of Language sat waiting to grant life. 

“She knows what happened, she’s willing to see you. All that’s left to do is go through with it. I’ll be here waiting for you when you come out.” Sunwoo turned when one of the guards placed a hand on his shoulder. The guard shook his head. “What do you mean?”

“All company will wait in their respective chambers if the ceremony is decided to take place—”

“If?” Eric squeaked.

“Wait _where?”_ Sunwoo scoffed. “Back at our guest house? I don’t think so. Good luck making me leave him—”

The guard conked Sunwoo upside the head and the prince collapsed.

Kevin’s eyes widened. “You killed the fucking Woodland heir!”

“Sunny—” Eric moved to where the guards were removing his mate from the room. He took a step forward, but his newfound strength was beginning to leave him. The pain was returning, flooding down his limbs and making his arms shake down to the tips of his fingers.

“The Empress has granted you permission to enter,” the guard declared once Eric’s friends had filed out. Eric gulped.

The doors to the gardens were even more grand than the ones to the Woodland Palace throne room. The sculpted marble entrance floated open as he stepped forward.

“You don’t come in?” Eric asked as the guards remained stationary at the doors. At this point he’d take any company.

The guards shook their heads. “The Empress has requested to speak with you alone.”

Eric wandered into the gardens, walking past trees of glittering emerald, flowers of bursting crimson and fuschia, grass of sharp periwinkle and chirping birds of chartreuse and saffron.

It was too colorful and perfect to be real.

He passed no one else while wandering, but eventually, he followed a small brook to a pond. It was fed by a waterfall, and at the mouth of the fall he could glimpse a small sitting area. There was a woman sitting there. Eric gulped and summoned his strength to his legs to carry himself up the side of the mini waterfall.

“I’m surprised you made it up here,” a deep, raspy voice greeted him. Eric’s head shot up as he bent over to catch his breath.

The woman sitting on a carved rock turned to look at him. Her hair was inky dark, glittering with strands of gold. Her pants were loose, and looked like they were woven of a similar gold, while her blouse was simple, white and flowy. She could have been 18 or 40, but of course, she was thousands of years older. “Most cases of faerie dust poisoning don’t last as long as you have.”

Eric’s heart pounded. He found himself speechless. 

“Have a seat, dear.” The Fae Empress gestured to another, equally-uncomfortable-looking carved rock. Eric swallowed and took a seat beside her. He tried to sit up straight, at least have proper posture before the most powerful being in the world, but found it took too much energy. 

“You’ve seen… cases like this before?” Eric finally asked.

The Empress nodded. “Oh, definitely. Way more than you’d think.” She spoke surprisingly informally, but considering she’d lived for thousands of years, she was probably adept at adapting to culture and the formation of language.

“In the unfortunate circumstance in a faerie mating with a human, faerie dust poisoning often occurs out of ignorance and stubbornness. I’m assuming there’s a lot of that in your relationship.” Eric flushed, but the Empress continued before he could add anything. “More so than anything I’ve seen before, that’s for sure. I mean, you made it here, for instance.”

Eric met the Empress’s smiling expression. “You don’t do a lot of these ceremonies, I take it.”

“Oh, most can’t make it past the initial trial.” The Empress smiled. “It’s the witnesses and the court-certified defense attorney that trips them up. You Woodland Fae are awful sticklers about your laws and traditions.” 

_You.You Woodland Fae._

_But I’m not—_

“What’s incredible, however, is that you’re mated to a royal.” The Empress stood and extended her arm for Eric to hold on to. “Careful there,” she cautioned as Eric almost lost his footing on the slippery rock. “Sunwoo isn’t the first royal to have a human mate like you, but he’s the first not to hide it.” Eric looked up at her— damn, she was tall— in surprise at the statement.

“Hide it?”

“It’s illegal for a Woodland royal to have a mate of the same sex,” the Empress explained. She paused at Eric’s stunned expression. “You… didn’t know that.”

“Well, it makes a lot of sense,” Eric grumbled. “I thought faeries were cool with gays, though.” He cringed at how awful he was at speaking formally. Thankfully, the Empress didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh, it’s just a Woodland thing,” the Empress explained with a flap of her hand as she led him through the wooded gardens. The gardens weren’t outside at all, Eric realized. They were lit with fluorescent lights, placed in the knots of trees and nooks of vines. “But because of it, and especially if they have a mate that’s human, the royal has to take on a faux mate in place of their real one.”

“But they’ll never truly love them,” Eric replied, feeling lost.

“Exactly. But the alternative is fighting to overturn the laws and rewrite hundreds of years of tradition. And no one was ever willing to go that far for their love. Until you.” The Empress turned to Eric, and suddenly he realized what Sunwoo had meant by _she’s not like my mother._ “I’ve never seen someone so dedicated to their mate as Sunwoo is to you.” The Empress placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him forward. Eric felt his stomach twist as if something big and important were about to happen.

They’d emerged into a clearing, the brook beside them becoming dozens of tiny streams that flowed forth into the most exquisite tree Eric had ever seen. Its leaves were turquoise and lilac and magenta. Its trunk twisted and soared towards the circle of sunlight that drenched it. The fake sky above was replaced by a circle cut into the ceiling, illuminating its sole subject. The Tree of Language.

“I have no problem with mates finding each other and staying together,” the Empress said solemnly. “But it is up to each King or Queen themselves to parse out laws for each species. That is not up to me.” The Empress turned to him with a smile. “But sometimes change is necessary, and something tells me that you as a ruler will bring about some well-needed changes.”

“Sunwoo isn’t afraid to rewrite laws,” Eric said boldly.

The Empress smiled. “I believe Sunwoo wants to do what’s best for his people no matter what. And you, despite not knowing them, would do the same.” She paused before turning and leading him closer to the tree. “From what I’ve observed, at least.”

Eric couldn’t find it in him to ask more questions.

“Your life force is very weak,” the Empress observed as she reached into a space in the tree. 

“I know,” Eric said softly, his vision beginning to dim. He felt his legs grow weaker. “It’s okay if… if you won’t….”

“That’ll make this process much easier.” 

He felt a hand on his forehead, then his sternum. And then his world went dark.

Sunwoo paced, wringing his hands together. What if all this was for nothing, if the Empress decided not to go through with it? What if despite all his hard work, he couldn’t save Eric?

It was several hours of worried stressing that had him trapped in his bedroom at their guest house, reluctant to approach the others. The longer it got, the more worried he became. What if something had happened? No, they would have told him. But would they?

God, what if he really lost his Eric forever? Sunwoo couldn’t fathom going more than a day without seeing Eric at a time. How could he ever handle—

“Sunwoo!” The door flew open. Sunwoo turned, eyes weighed down with exhaustion, to see Jacob beaming at him. “Sunwoo, he’s—”

The front gates were opening. 

“He’s back?” Sunwoo’s eyes widened. 

“It doesn’t mean— I mean, we still don’t know—”

Sunwoo turned away, gripping his horns. God, if only the guards outside would let him leave his room. 

He heard one of them ask Jacob to return to his own room. He turned as he heard the door close.

He was no longer alone. The most beautiful creature he had ever seen was standing before him.

Eric was glowing. His skin had retained some of its pigment, his hair sleek and shining, but more than anything, his eyes were alight again. There was something _more_ to him, as if life had been returned and then some. There were no horns, not yet. But there was no mistaking it.

He was fae.

Sunwoo rushed forward, all gentle treatment and delicate handling of the last few weeks forgotten. He grabbed his mate in his arms and twirled him around, feeting lifting off the floor. 

The box in Eric’s hands clattered to the floor, but its contents couldn’t be as important as Sunwoo carrying Eric over to their bed.

“Holy shit,” Sunwoo gasped as he examined Eric, splayed out beneath him. Hands running over every inch he could touch. The silver streaks still adorned his hair. His smile was deeper, more genuine. Even his body felt more filled out, the weight he’d lost from the poison reset.

And maybe they could’ve, should’ve, talked it out, or something. But in that moment all Sunwoo could think of was how fast Eric’s clothes could get off his body and be on the floor.

He ran his hands down the hard lines of Eric’s hunter muscles, flexing beneath his fingers like they’d never been lost in weeks of painful hunger.

Sunwoo lowered his lips to Eric’s ear as the newly fae boy fumbled to undress him. “I’m gonna make up for all those weeks of loving we missed out on, and then some.”

He slid his hand down Eric’s midriff and felt him growing hard underneath his touch. Sunwoo grinned. “Don’t mind if I do.”

“You can do the honors,” Eric sighed, leaning his head back like this was something they’d done a thousand times, rather than simply once.

The others in their clan were forgotten. Responsibilities, the future, were forgotten. The movement of the sun outside the window was forgotten, all passage of time meaningless as they moved against each other, gasping and breathing and _living_ in exhilaration.

Eric’s hands grabbed onto his horns. “Imma have me a nice pair of these bad boys someday too, aren’t I?” Eric sighed as Sunwoo rolled his hips into him. 

“Pretty soon, probably,” he grunted. 

“Think they’ll look as hot on me as they do on you?” Eric asked teasingly. Sunwoo stared down at him.

_“Fuck.”_

The noises coming out of Eric got a lot wilder after that. Down the hall, Sangyeon stuffed his pillow over his head.

At some point, Sunwoo became aware that he was talking. Words were spilling from his mouth, whether apologies or declarations of love, he wasn’t sure. He dissolved into whispering, _“Mine, you’re mine,”_ into Eric’s neck over and over.

“Always,” came Eric’s response between kisses. _“Always.”_

They watched the sunrise together with Eric tucked into Sunwoo’s shoulder, both panting and slicked with sweat.

“Wait, wasn’t it just, like, nighttime?” Eric asked, blinking. 

“Uh…” Sunwoo checked the time. “What time did you finish with the Empress, again?”

“Fuck, I don’t know. Around 11?”

Sunwoo laughed. He tossed his phone back onto the dresser. “Nah, can’t be.”

“What?”

“It’s 6AM.”

Eric blinked at him. “No fucking way.”

Sunwoo cackled. “We just can’t have normal sex, can we?” He slapped his forehead. “First time you get poisoned. Now we make love for 7 fucking hours straight.” He blinked. “Which _cannot_ be possible.”

“Means you’ve got hella game,” Eric remarked. “Like, that’s a record.”

“Yeah, but it’s impressive even for fae.”

“For fae?” Eric sat up. “Oh God, I bet your anatomy is so different. What’s that like?”

“You can check yourself.” Sunwoo leaned back and folded his arms behind his head. He snorted again, unable to keep the humor of it out of his thoughts. “You’ve got everything I do now.”

“Oh. Oh, yeah, I guess you’re right.” Eric sat back. “So…. what now? I’m not really tired, to be honest.”

Sunwoo grinned at him. “Me either.” He reached for his mate’s hand. “How do you feel about exploring?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well that was a wild ride. thoughts? questions? complaints?(please keep those to yourself)  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	31. 31. Fantasia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, a fun day full of adventure! But all good things come to an end...

31\. Fantasia

Sunwoo tapped his fingers on his leg. There was no reason to be nervous, he reckoned. All he had to do was reach over and squeeze Eric’s hand beside him, and everything would be alright. 

He regretted taking the window seat. The closer they got to the inner city, the further Eric leaned over him to peer out the carriage. The morning sunshine lit up the silver highlights of his dark hair. Sunwoo felt his heart clench in pure adoration. Reluctant to let Eric out of his hold for even a heartbeat, he pulling his mate back down towards him. Their hearts— one each, now— beat in harmony. 

Oh, right. 

Eric’s heart. 

He’d come home the night before with a small box in his hands. Sunwoo, so enraptured with having his lover healed and healthy once more, had deemed it nothing of importance.

It was only after their… _preoccupied_ night that Eric opened it for Sunwoo to see the contents. 

“The Empress said there was no point transferring it to me because I’d just take it out for you anyway,” he explained as Sunwoo gaped down at the beating heart. “So I got this cute box. Neat, right? Anyway, this is for you.”

Sunwoo cradled the heart close to him while Eric dressed that morning. Distracted by the servants, Sunwoo was free to search for a safe place. 

He opened the drawer of his nightstand. He wasn’t sure why he’d brought it from the Woodland Palace. Maybe he’d been hoping for this exact circumstance.

The jar of wildflower honey Juyeon had given him when they’d first met, all those… weeks? Months ago? Sunwoo couldn’t keep track of time. It was almost summer, he knew that.

It was empty now, or… mostly. Residue of the deep magenta substance remained on the sides of the jar. 

_Really? This? You’re going to put your mate’s heart in this?_

But it was more than just an empty and kind of dirty jar of wildflower honey, he knew that.

It marked the moment his life changed. When he started to believe in fate.

Because fate led him to Eric.

Every person he’d met, Juyeon included, was for a reason. Sunwoo wondered about the ex-faerie’s story. What was his deal, really?

Sunwoo checked over his shoulder to make sure the servants weren’t harassing Eric too much. He unscrewed the jar’s lid and slid the heart inside. It fit perfectly.

Moments later, Sunwoo wondered if he’d made a terrible mistake.

The remnants of the wildflower honey leeched off the sides of the jar and began to move towards the heart. It covered the surface of the heart and hardened until the heart was covered in a sturdy coating. Sunwoo began to panic. What had he done?

“I’m ready!” Eric declared. Sunwoo stuffed the jar back in the drawer and spun around. Eric bounced on his feet and beamed up at him. He was dressed in a tanktop, jeans, and sandals, like he was ready for a day at the beach. “Let’s go, adventure, let’s go!”

“You should put a jacket on,” Sunwoo fretted.

Eric rolled his eyes. “Well, if it’ll make you happy.”

Sunwoo crossed the floor and squeezed Eric into a death-grip hug. Eric squeaked in complaint.

“Sorry.” Sunwoo blinked down at him, drinking in the sight of a happy and healthy Eric. “I’m just so excited to spend the day with you.”

And now a small group of servants and guards were accompanying them into the city. Sunwoo had made them promise to keep their distance. He hated to show up in front of his people looking pompous and spoiled. He was their _leader,_ not their ruler, he liked to say. Although he wasn’t either yet.

“Wow,” Eric gaped. “Everything’s so shiny! And sparkly! Is it faerie dust?”

“Probably,” Sunwoo shifted, still thinking about his heart. Who would know about the effects of wildflower honey? Chanhee wasn’t here… if only there were someone he could ask about aspects of fae culture.

Oh. Wait. Duh.

“Eric,” Sunwoo started.

“Yeah?” Eric’s eyes were sparkling as he turned to Sunwoo, half leaning over his lap with an arm propped on the window. His face was split into the biggest grin Sunwoo had ever seen from him. 

Sunwoo reached out to brush Eric’s hair out of his face. “What do you know about wildflower honey?” 

At Eric’s puzzled expression, he quickly added, “There’s a shop in town that makes it fresh, I thought you might enjoy—”

“Oh, it’s something I always wanted to try!” Eric said eagerly. “But humans can’t have it because it’s injected with faerie dust, which is lethal when ingested by humans. I didn’t know that till recently, though. Cause I—”

“Yes, I remember,” Sunwoo said calmly. Eric had been a bit scatterbrained, he noticed, since the ceremony. Probably having difficulty adjusting to the fae ability to simultaneously multitask mentally. 

Eric plopped onto his lap— no seatbelts in royal fae carriages— and continued. “Well, it’s supposed to be sweeter and healthier than candy. It also has preservative characteristics because of the faerie dust! Like, in class one time, my teacher wanted us to dissect faerie hearts—” Sunwoo’s eyes widened. “--but I threatened everyone into not doing it! I wasn’t sure how she got fully preserved faerie hearts that had been removed and not buried with their mates. Turns out they were encased in wildflower honey! It acts as a protective shell for the heart and preserves it.”

Sunwoo blinked. That seemed like a crucial piece of information he should have known. At least he was able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing he didn’t accidentally damage Eric’s heart. 

Eric wrapped his arms around Sunwoo’s neck as the carriage rolled to a stop outside the entrance to Fantasia. “Shouldn’t you know all about it? Don’t they teach you that in prince school?”

Sunwoo snorted. “Aside from laws and governing, my mother tried to avoid my exposure to anything concerning our people at all.”

He helped Eric to his feet and they stepped from the carriage. 

“Why would— oh, _whoa.”_

Eric’s jaw fell open as they beheld the city emerging from the woods before them. Hidden from the eyes of humans and inaccessible to those who might wish it harm, the city of Fantasia was the capital of all fae life. The Empress resided in her grand marble palace, while vast towns and villages of fae lived in harmony. Different races allowed to interact, no boundaries to the love and families that sprouted from all over.

“You’ll notice how strict the woodland fae are in comparison,” Sunwoo warned. “My mother is not what you would call a progressive ruler.”

“This is incredible,” Eric breathed. The outer town that sprawled towards them was filled with shades of white, blue, and gold. Shops made of brick and houses built of stone, broad windows reflecting the sunlight on every surface. The glass refracted the light into purples, pinks, and oranges that played across the cobblestone streets.

“Just wait till we get to downtown,” Sunwoo said with a grin. He grabbed Eric by the hand and tugged him forward, away from the servants and the guards and the carriage that would take them back home.

The rising sun lit everything in their path. It shone down on them, heating their frozen anxieties until they defrosted in the warmth of excitement. The streets, flooded with villagers, twisted and tangled until they reached the center. 

They sprinted past the playing children and working merchants, passing covered wagons selling snacks and market stalls offering all types of goods. 

“This is incredible,” Eric breathed as Sunwoo made them stop for their first snack of the day. “Isn’t it a little early for dessert?” It wasn’t nearly noon yet.

Sunwoo grinned. “Well, adventures don’t have rules, last I checked.” Eric beamed and accepted the elderberry icing-drizzled scone. 

“Wow.” Eric’s eyes widened at the first bite. “I can taste so many things!”

Sunwoo’s face was beginning to hurt from nonstop smiling. “Come on!”

Downtown rose up before them. The buildings grew taller, the streets clogged with adults and children of all fae races alike. The best shops, the best restaurants, the best people. Sunwoo held tight to Eric’s hand as they wove through the street.

The street began to slope upward, and then they crested the hill. Eric’s mouth fell open once more.

Before them lay the spread of the capital. Their Woodland guest house on the outskirts behind them, before them the broad splay of Fantasia. Towns, villages, winding together towards the magnificent palace that lay in the center. It spiraled out in a fan, the Empress at the center of all life. It was the most beautiful sight to be seen.

“It’s amazing,” Eric gasped. 

“Isn’t it?” Sunwoo affirmed, not taking his eyes off Eric. He leaned forward slowly, unprepared for Eric to spin and launch himself at him. 

Eric kissed him quickly and fiercely, over and over until Sunwoo’s head spun. “I love you, I love you, I love you—”

Sunwoo laughed and held him back for fear he’d make them both pass out from lack of oxygen. “What’s bringing this on?”

“Thank you.” Eric’s eyes were swimming. “You’re incredible.”

Sunwoo smiled shyly. “This _place_ is incredible—”

“No.” Eric shook his head. “Nothing I’ve seen is as incredible as you.”

Sunwoo led them back down to the center of town. “Wanna see my favorite book shop?”

Eric nodded enthusiastically. 

Sunwoo intertwined their fingers and tugged Eric through the crowd. Most woodland fae recognized him and bowed, moving out of their way quickly. Sunwoo smiled at every citizen he saw. 

Before they could reach the bookshop, however, they were accosted by a group of children. They outright _demanded_ someone be referee for their game of hoopball, and after explaining the rules to Eric(“Ah!” Eric exclaimed. “It’s like baseball, but also like Quidditch.” Sunwoo blinked. “Sure?”), his mate was dragged off to entertain the kids.

Sunwoo promised to return soon as he pushed open the door to the shop. The woodland woman working the counter greeted him with a familiar smile and a warm hug. “We’re so glad to have you with us again, Your Highness.” She sounded glad, but also… desperate. “We were worried when you stopped your annual summer visits 20 years ago.”

“I know. I deeply apologize to all the people here, it was not my plan to—”

“Oh, no one is mad at you, Your Highness.” The bookkeeper smiled endearingly up at him. A heavy woman in her mid-500s, she was one of the kind, parental-like villagers Sunwoo had befriended in his childhood. “We know you’re not the type to abandon your people for no good reason.” She squeezed his hands. “We look forward to the wonderful leadership you bring.”

She glanced out the window to Eric playing with the kids. A small crowd had gathered to observe the game, and Eric, smelling definitively of woodland fae but with no horns of his own yet, was drawing attention. 

“Is that your mate?” The bookkeeper asked softly.

Sunwoo’s lips tugged upwards in a proud smile. He watched the bright flash of Eric’s red hoodie as he sat to braid flowers into a young starsight girl’s hair. “Sure is.”

“I’m sure you two will make very strong rulers,” the bookkeeper observed. Sunwoo looked at her in desperation.

“You think so?”

“Of course!” She gave him a knowing smile. “You clearly love each other very much. And us Woodland Fae could use some capable leaders.” She sighed. “Especially after this mess… oh, but I’m sorry, I mean no offense to your mother—”

“None taken.” Sunwoo kept his gaze trained on Eric. “I plan on serving my people much better than she has.”

The bookkeeper smiled. “We’re glad to hear that.” She gave him a push from behind. “Get out there with him, won’t you?”

Sunwoo laughed. “Alright, alright.” He pushed the shop door open and held up a hand against the sun. Eric was chatting with several woodland passerby, and they stepped back and bowed respectfully as he approached.

“Making friends already?” Sunwoo joked, placing a light kiss to Eric’s temple. The woodland crowd made the connection immediately, and made several apologetic bows to Eric for not recognizing his position.

Eric, unused to the respectful treatment, seemed startled by this. “Oh, no, it’s okay…” He tried.

“Most people not loyal to my mother will respect you,” Sunwoo muttered in his ear. He turned to the small crowd before it could drift apart at the end of the game. “Thank you for your warm welcome to me and my mate.” His address brought smiles to the faces of the people around him. A royal, actually recognizing and paying attention to them! “We appreciate your loyalty, and I promise, when it is our time, we will lead you fairly.”

Several villagers approached them. 

“Your Highness,” one man said. “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. If not for you I never would have had enough food for my village to survive—”

“Prince Sunwoo, I never got to thank you for all the palace resources you sent to the people, your kindness and good heart are not overlooked—”

Eric looked at him in surprise. “I thought your mother didn’t allow you to have connections to your people.”

“Not ones she knows about,” Sunwoo said with a smirk. “A real leader doesn’t hog resources to themselves, nor hire incapable people who only think of themselves.” He thought of the court and the Queen’s council. The only competent member, probably, was Kevin. It was a wonder the trans faerie had ever gotten anything done.

After profusely thanking and greeting every member of the crowd, Sunwoo and Eric escaped further into the city.

“What do you think about ice cream for lunch?” Sunwoo proposed. Eric laughed and kissed him in response.

It was refreshing to be able to make decisions on the fly. No consequences. Just freedom.

“Hollyberry’s my favorite,” Sunwoo suggested as they waited in line. He refused to cut to the front, no matter how many people insisted it was okay. It didn’t stop everyone in the shop from ogling at them, however. “Especially if you combine it with black cherry.”

“Hmm, okay. I think I’ll go with pine nettle honey and fudge, though.” 

Sunwoo rolled his eyes. Why did he even try?

They took their ice cream out to the park and watched the young families picnicking across the grass. Eric leaned back in Sunwoo’s arms, nestling his head against his mate’s chest.

“There’s somewhere I wanna take you after this,” Sunwoo told him.

Eric hummed in response. Contentment settled over them like a blanket. They were sheltered from the world by a feeling of calm. 

Sunwoo felt the events of the past few days, as well as the lack of sleep from the night before, finally catching up to him. Yawning and blinking tiredly, they disposed of the empty ice cream cups. 

Sunwoo took Eric’s hand once more and led him into the center of the park. In the center, like an island, rose a miniature forest where many woodland creatures were kept. Each race of fae had a small area in the capital meant to be a sampling of home. This was the woodland sanctuary in Fantasia. 

The forest island was lit by floating bubbles of purple and blue light. The trees overhead grew so densely they blocked most natural light. Eric craned his neck for signs of life. “Wonder if they have elk! Those are sacred to woodland fae, right?”

Sunwoo nodded as they neared the center. Thankfully, it was deserted. “Yeah. We don’t harm elks in their lives, but once they pass away, the forest spirit wants us to make them as useful as possible. That’s where we get elkhorn swords, the elk soup drank during coronation—”

“So when they’re alive it’s forbidden, but once they’re dead, anything’s fair game?” Eric questioned.

Sunwoo shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much.”

In the center of the forest island was a clearing. String lights in shades of purple and pink wrapped each branch surrounding it, casting everything in a homey fuschia glow. Meant to be a place of peace and serenity, the grass was plusher than normal and springy like a pillow. 

“Come here.” Sunwoo pulled Eric into his arms. They blinked at each other. Eric’s lips parted slightly. “Do you wanna dance?”

Eric smiled shyly. “What, right here?”

“Sure.” Sunwoo pulled out his phone and flipped through his music. He settled on a song by one of his favorite fae singers. 

_Home_ by Tielle began to play softly through the speakers. Eric rested his head on Sunwoo’s shoulder, tension seeping from his bones. The trees swayed beside them in time to the rhythm. 

Sweet, honey vocals, gentle piano, soft sounds of water lapping lazily. Sunwoo tightened his grip on Eric’s waist. His mate raised his head to look up at him as the short song ended. Sunwoo smiled, all emotions plain on his face.

Eric returned the confession of love with a similar smile. He cleared his throat awkwardly. The soft spell broken, Sunwoo took a step back.

Eric flopped down on the ground unceremoniously. “Wow. I could fall asleep right now.”

“Careful, you’ll never wake up,” Sunwoo joked. He settled down beside Eric and pulled the smaller faerie onto his lap. “Kidding. That’s what I brought us here for.” 

They stretched out on the grass, eyes transfixed on the twinkling lights in the trees arching above them. It was mesmerizing, the soothing glow urging them to drift off peacefully.

“So what do we do now?” Eric asked sleepily.

“Hmm?” Sunwoo asked, barely able to hear him. It sounded like Eric would fall asleep any second, and knowing him, he probably would. 

“Isn’t it illegal for a royal to have a mate of the same sex?” 

Sunwoo paused. That was right. They’d solved one problem, but it didn’t mean it was over. He glanced down at Eric only to find his mate asleep.

He sighed and let his head fall back against the grass. Eric’s head on his chest rose and fell with every breath Sunwoo took. Eventually, his eyes slid closed on their own, chasing his mate’s consciousness into their dreams.

✧ ✦ ✧ ✦

They were woken by loud, trampling footsteps and shouts. Sunwoo frowned and brought a hand to Eric’s head protectively. He sat up as slowly as he could, wondering what could be going on.

A voice accompanied a pair of men as they burst into the clearing. “We found them!”

Eric sat up groggily beside him. Sunwoo shook his head from sleep to see that the men were dressed in the uniforms of royal Woodland Palace guards.

They blinked unceremoniously as more guards flooded the clearing. 

“What’s going on?” Eric asked sleepily. Sunwoo felt his guard raise. 

“Your Majesties! Thank the spirits we found you.” The guards were out of breath. They had been searching for quite a while.

Sunwoo blinked. “Your....”

“...Majesties?” Eric’s eyebrows raised at the change in title.

“Her Majesty— The Queen— has passed away from her illness.”

Sunwoo held a death grip on Eric’s hand. He felt the breath leave his lungs.

“You both must be coronated as soon as possible!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tielle is an incredible singer and I love her songs a lot! I highly recommend listening to her.   
> Things are heating up once more! What lies in store for the soon-to-be-kings??  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	32. 32. Coronation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you tell i pay attention in government class from this

32\. Coronation

Eric knew there were requirements to becoming the President of the United States of America. One of them being: the candidate must have lived in the country for 14 years. He wished there were a requirement like that for being crowned King of the Woodland Fae.

He’d been a faerie for all of a _day_ and now he was going to lead them. How was he supposed to know what to do?

Sunwoo was silent during the ride back. The guards wanted to head directly to the Woodland Palace, but Sunwoo insisted they return to the guest villa first. He had something important he needed to grab, he’d said.

Eric knew better than to voice his worries to Sunwoo. His mate had enough going on as it was. His mother had just died, for one. And even though he’d spent his whole life preparing to rule, it wouldn’t compare to the real thing.

“You’ll have to begin your royal instruction right away, Your Highness,” a guard said. It took Eric a second to realize he was being addressed. After immediately realizing how jarring it had been to get the news, the servants had lapsed into addressing them with a prince title, as they technically had not been coronated yet. 

“Uh— yes, of course,” Eric nodded. “Um… how—”

The guard waited a moment to make sure he wouldn’t be interrupting before answering. “You will be given the same tutor as His Royal Highness Prince Sunwoo, to study law and governing a kingdom. I trust you’ll be able to handle this?” The guards’ eyes were warm. There was no trace of judgement in his tone. 

“Yeah, of course.” Eric shifted in his seat and rubbed the top of his head, which was beginning to hurt. It might be difficult on top of school work, though—

Oh, God— school.

Eric blinked.

Oh, _shit—_ his _parents._

The last few weeks had been a blur, and Eric had completely forgotten about his life outside the fae world. 

Eric opted to wait outside as Sunwoo recovered their belongings from the guest villa. Sangyeon noticed his fidgety nature and came to offer paternal comfort. 

“There’s nothing you need to do at the coronation. Just go along with what they want you to do and say what they want you to say.” He squeezed Eric’s shoulder and moved to open the door for Sunwoo as the younger faerie came stalking out of the villa. He barely spared a glance at Eric as he settled back into the carriage. 

“It’s tempting to give him a talking to, but I won’t,” Sangyeon said with a sigh.

“I will,” said Kevin, who Eric had forgotten was there. Jacob poked his head out from where he said beside his mate. “Sunwoo, you need to suck it up.”

Eric’s mate raised his hand and gave Kevin a glare.

“Sorry— please don’t execute me— but you’re not the only one this is rough for.” He glanced and Eric, and Sunwoo followed his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” Sunwoo sighed. Finally, he turned his gaze to meet Eric’s. Kevin slinked away back to his seat. “I’m not being fair to you—”

“I don’t blame you though!” Eric assured him. “I know you’re dealing with a lot, she was your mom—”

“Hardly,” Sunwoo cut in bitterly. “Kevin and Jacob did more to raise me than she did.” He leaned forward and rested his chin on his arms. “I learned the most from them, I think. The only thing she taught me is the type of leader I _don’t_ want to be.”

The coronation took place in a chapel-like room next to the throne room. Though Eric had never had the formal tour of the Woodland Fae Palace, he was surprised to see it looked similar to the coronation scene from _Frozen._

Kevin snorted upon hearing this remark. “Well, duh. Where do you think they got their inspiration from?”

Sunwoo and Eric were ushered into a vast changing room to be dressed in ceremonial robes. 

Sunwoo’s were an earthy green with tones of brown, a heavy material that seemed to weigh him down. 

Eric’s were pale blue and white, more of a delicate silk and soft to the touch.

They were required to bath beforehand (“I could really use a bubblebath,” Eric had joked with the attendants. They did not seem amused) and were anointed with oil on their foreheads. 

“In the chapel you will be crowned and say your vows,” a solemn-faced faerie informed them. They stood side by side before the doors leading into the chapel. Sunwoo stood tall and proud, born to face this day. Eric did his best to not let his fears show.

_Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know…_

Crap, he should be more worried about a giggle fit in front of the audience than anything else.

“Vows?” he asked instead. “I didn’t prepare anything.” Luckily, the chief advisor smiled (At least, that’s who Eric thought the crowning person was. He wasn’t entirely well versed in fae government yet).

“Don’t worry. It’s simply a repeat-after-me process.”

“Ah. Okay.”

Eric felt fingers tug at the flowy sleeves of his robes. Sunwoo interlaced their hands and squeezed. 

They were about to become the first royal rulers of the same sex, something unprecedented. He was about to become the first non-fae born ruler. He wasn’t at all prepared, but he was _going_ to be. 

He realized, as the chief advisor— thankfully not the court advisor, a man Eric had been worried about running into again— pushed the doors open, that this was something he _wanted_ to do. It wasn’t just his obligation as Sunwoo’s mate. He _wanted_ to help lead the woodland fae towards a better future.

From what he’d gathered from Sunwoo, the Queen had not been the most progressive leader. She hadn’t always prioritized what was best for her people, seeking more to show off her own power. 

Eric wanted to be part of the movement that led the fae world towards a more progressive future. No, he wanted to _lead_ that movement.

Eric glanced over the crowd that filled the pews as they made their way down the aisle. It felt almost like a wedding ceremony, he realized as they approached the dais. Except fae didn’t do weddings. 

The council, as well as the court, were in attendance. There was Sunwoo’s clan, Sangyeon and Hyunjae side by side. Younghoon, Haknyeon, and Juyeon, who had been about to leave along with Hyunjae, had been allowed to stay under Sunwoo’s orders.

There was no longer a fear of not belonging. All would be welcome under the new monarchy.

Sunwoo and Eric reached the dais and turned to face the crowd. The chief advisor stood before them. 

“You will respond to the vows and then be crowned before the Royal Council of the Woodland Fae as witness.” He turned to a tray beside him, pulling out a large book.

_Please tell me he’s not reading through all of that… we’ll be here all day,_ Eric thought desperately. 

Luckily, the chief advisor flipped to a particular page and cleared his throat. 

“Kim Sunwoo, Crown Prince of the Woodland Fae Kingdom, heir to the woodland throne,” the advisor addressed. “Do you swear to uphold the values of the woodland fae people and hold the priorities of your people above all else?”

_It really does feel like a wedding,_ Eric thought to help calm his nerves. 

“For the remainder of my days, I swear,” Sunwoo responded. Eric took a note of the response. 

“Do you swear to remain loyal to your people and your sworn mate—” Here, the chief advisor wavered, but quickly regained his strength of voice. “--until your reign comes to an end?”

“For the remainder of my days, I swear.”

The chief advisor repeated the same questions to Eric, and he gave the same response, proudly without any nervousness displayed in his voice.

The chief advisor gestured them forward, and they turned away from the crowd. They knelt down before the advisor, and he pulled out two crowns shaped of thorns and roses. 

The first was placed as a wreath around Sunwoo’s horns, coming to a rest with the roses nestled softly against his head. Eric, lacking horns, felt his stomach flip flop once more.

But the crown fit comfortably against his head nonetheless. The roses were soft and lightly perfumed. He resisted the urge to reach up and poke the thorns.

It wasn’t particularly heavy, but it carried its weight well.

Next, the advisor handed them bowls of a lukewarm liquid. Eric followed Sunwoo’s lead as he lifted it to his lips and drank from the bowl. 

“Elk soup to steady the soul,” the advisor declared. 

Eric almost spat it out. An elk had gone into this? No wonder it didn’t taste like anything he’d ever had before. It was pretty good, though. A bit on the cold side. 

Eric swallowed as he and Sunwoo stood and faced the crowd once more.

The crowd bowed deeply before standing in applause and cheers. The sound rang in Eric’s head as his vision swam with the weight of what lay before him.

“Now’s the fun part,” Kevin assured him as they crowded into the dressing room in Sunwoo’s chambers. 

“What’s that?” Eric asked in amusement. 

“The party!” Kevin declared. They’d swapped their formal dress for lighter, more playful woodland wear. Long robes, but colored with lilac and rose, of smooth silk and gauze. 

The party was to be held in the royal ballroom, a place Eric hadn’t seen yet. 

“What are we expected to do?” Eric asked anxiously.

“Oh, just greet foreign ambassadors, be polite, talk about our plans, you know,” Sunwoo explained with a wave of his hand. Eric shook his head. He marvelled at how composed Sunwoo had been about the whole thing since the coronation the night before. 

Their clan flanked them inside the circle of guards as they made their way to the ballroom. 

It was something Eric would have to get used to, he knew. He wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without guards now.

The crown shifted on his head as he walked, a constant reminder of the step he’d taken that he’d never get back.

Eric lost count of how many diplomats and ambassadors he was introduced to. How all these people had managed to show up on such short notice was a wonder. But then, he supposed, coronations didn’t happen often in the fae world with their life spans. And who would pass up the opportunity to cozy up to the people who’d be in charge for the next 700 or so years?

Finally, the boring part ended and the party started up. “Come on!” Sunwoo tugged him forward. “We’ve gotta hit the dance floor before Kevin gets here.”

“Huh? Why?”

Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “Well….”

Haknyeon and Hyunjae, living their best lives owning the center of the dance floor, pulled them into their circle. Eric kept an eye on the distance Sunwoo kept with Hyunjae. Some rifts would never fully heal.

Eventually, the party got tiring and Eric and Sunwoo cleared out just as Kevin and Jacob shouldered their way through the crowd.

“Glad we missed them,” Sunwoo breathed.

“Okay, but why—”

“Nope. Don’t look. Cover your eyes.” Sunwoo escorted him away. “We probably should talk at some point, though.”

Eric felt his nerves return. “About what?”

“Our policies. To make sure we’re on the same page about everything.” Sunwoo watched him carefully.

Eric nodded slowly. “Okay. I won’t start my lessons until tomorrow, though—”

“I know. But I have meetings tomorrow, and I don’t want to contradict anything you say.”

Eric sighed. “Alright.”

He let Sunwoo guide him away from the party and back through the grand hallway. Four guards peeled off from their wall post to follow them. 

Sunwoo ushered him into an office room. The guards stayed outside. “Top secret royal info,” Sunwoo told him with a wink. They sat down behind the desk together and Sunwoo pulled out a file.

“Here’s something I compiled of all the top issues we’ll be facing.” Sunwoo squeezed his hand. “I want us to go through this together.”

Eric turned to look at him. Sunwoo seemed to sense his hesitance. “What is it?” He tilted Eric’s face towards him gently. 

“I just—” Eric licked his lips. “Do you really think I’m the right person for this?”

“You’re the right person for me,” Sunwoo answered, rubbing their noses together.

Eric couldn’t help his smile. “I know, but— do you really think I can lead your people?”

“Our people,” Sunwoo corrected. “You’re one of us now.”

Eric glanced down. “But I just don’t think it works that way. I don’t have your upbringing, I know about your culture but I’ve never experienced it, I’ve never been a part of this life and I can’t claim belonging to it just because my insides were rearranged—”

Sunwoo placed a finger on his lips. “You’re forgetting something.” Eric blinked. “You were destined for this. Even before you were born, this was always meant to be your path.” He linked their fingers together. “Because we’re destined to be. This is my destiny, which makes it yours, too.”

Eric looked up at him. “Tomorrow, at the meeting—”

“I’ll include your words just as much as mine. Even if you won’t be there. And when we meet with the council to review all occupations, you’ll be there with me, judging their potential.”

Eric smiled. “You don’t like any of the people your mother hired.”

Sunwoo grinned. “I really don’t.”

“Don’t you feel sad about her passing?” Eric asked softly, leaning closer.

Sunwoo licked his lips. Eric tried to focus his gaze elsewhere than Sunwoo’s mouth, no matter how tempting he made it. “Of course I do. But this is going to be so much better for the kingdom. I need to put their needs first.”

“And you will. You are. But you can’t forget to let yourself _feel._ You deserve some time to mourn.” 

Sunwoo put his head on Eric’s shoulder. “You know,” he said, so quietly Eric could barely hear. “You’re exactly what I’ve always needed.”

The throne is carved of smooth wood. Eric runs a hand over the armrest, wondering if he’d be able to tell what type of tree it is once he started his lessons. Was that part of woodland education? Learning about trees? It should be.

Instead of a grand, empty hall like the throne room, the council room had a large U-shaped table consuming much of the space. The thrones appeared to be identical to the ones in the throne room. Eric wondered if the servants had just carried the same ones over.

If he’d thought their treatment as princes was a bit much, it was nothing compared to their treament as kings. That morning, before he could dig into his breakfast, to his dismay, a servant had to taste every part of it. 

“Safety precautions,” the servant assured him.

Eric pouted. “You just wanted to have the first bite.” The servant cracked a smile.

One of the dressing attendants had given him a dirty look when he tripped over his robes that morning. Sunwoo had fired her on the spot.

“That was a bit much,” Eric complained as they made their way to the council room.

“I’m setting a no-tolerance policy. We’re young, and unconventional, but we need to show that we shouldn’t be doubted as leaders.” 

Eric nodded. Once again, Sunwoo proved that he was far more capable than Eric. How could he ever keep up?

“I won’t make any more decisions without your input, though.” Sunwoo blinked sheepishly as him. “Sorry.”

Now, the council sat leering at them, almost entirely comprised of men more than twice their age.

“I think we need some diversity on here, don’t you?” Sunwoo muttered to Eric as the council waited for them to start. 

Eric nodded. “Yes, I think hiring people from different backgrounds would give us more of a variety of opinions.”

Sunwoo nodded and straightened. The council, 25 esteemed members of the Woodland Fae Kingdom, shifted nervously.

“Kevin,” Sunwoo called. Their friend turned to them with a respectful smile. “You’re the only LGBTQ+ member of this council, right?”

Kevin blinked. “Um, yes.” He seemed to be forcing himself to be polite. It was quite the transition for their friends, after all.

Sunwoo propped his elbow beside him and leaned his head against his hand. “Congrats. You’re the only one whose job is safe.”

The rest of the council struggled to keep their dismay silent. 

“Alright, enough clamor,” Sunwoo declared. “Most of you are bumbling, incompetent fools. I honestly have no idea what you’re doing here.”

Eric gave him a shocked look.

“Trust, this has been a long time coming,” Sunwoo whispered to him. 

“Your Majesty,” a council member spoke up. His nametag declared him the lead council leader of Children’s Education and Nourishment. “Perhaps we should go over your policies and plans as a ruler.”

Sunwoo’s hands tightened into fists. “I thought you were made aware we would be going over those at the meeting this afternoon. As of now, we are meeting to review the _competency_ of this council. Are you trying to lead the topic away from your own job?”

Eric swallowed. He knew Sunwoo wouldn’t normally be like this. He was just putting on a show for the first day to show they meant business.

“Changmin,” Sunwoo said suddenly. The rest of their clan, hovering at the side of the room, suddenly looked towards them. Changmin, dressed inappropriately informally in a dark hoodie and round glasses, gave a cheerful wave. “Do you want his job?”

“Hmm?” Changmin glanced to the stricken council member. 

“You studied children’s education. This should be right up your alley.” Sunwoo turned to Eric. “What do you think?”

Eric tapped his chin. “Well, you know Changmin better than anyone. Do you think he’s capable?”

Sunwoo nodded. “As part of our checks and balances system, an appointment by the monarch needs at least three votes of support from other council members.”

“I can vouch for Changmin,” Kevin said immediately. Another council member snorted. “I’ve known him for about 200 years, and he’s incredibly capable and intelligent. He definitely deserves this position.”

Sunwoo tapped his chin. “Alright.”

The council advisor, who facilitated the meetings in the absence of the monarchs, also voiced his support.

“I would also like to vouch for Ji Changmin,” another voice spoke up. The councilwoman in charge of Nature Preservation leaned forward. She glanced uncertainly towards the clan. “I believe that the councilman in charge of Children’s Education and Nourishment is not as progressive as our current rulers would like our government to be. All members of the council should share the same beliefs as our kings.”

“Thank you for your input,” Sunwoo said to her with a respectful bow of the head. “Changmin, you’re hired. You—” He gestured vaguely at the offending councilman. “Get out.”

The councilman bowed reluctantly and scurried out. Changmin took his place in delight.

“Your Majesty, if I may.” The previous Queen’s chief advisor, who’d coronated them the previous night, scuttled forward. “It may not be wise to appoint your closest friends, even if you trust them.”

“Why not?” Sunwoo decided to humor him.

“You may be biased to believe they are more capable than they truly are.”

Sunwoo narrowed his eyes. “And who the fuck are you?” he asked, despite being fully aware.

The advisor bowed. “Her Majesty the late Queen’s chief advisor, Your Majesty.”

Sunwoo nodded. “Well, you’re not my advisor. But you do have a fair point.” He steepled his fingers. “So what do you suggest we do instead?”

“I would suggest letting me find possible replacements, so that you don’t have to spend your valuable time searching for them. Then, if you don’t approve, you can appoint your own—”

“So you want power over the council,” Sunwoo interrupted.

The advisor flushed. “I simply—”

“How do I know you won’t appoint people loyal to you who won’t follow my lead?”

“Well—”

“Jacob,” Sunwoo interrupted again. “What do you think?”

“Hmm?” Jacob seemed startled at being addressed.

“What do you think of what he’s saying?”

“Well…” Eric could see the gears in Jacob’s head turning. “I think he has a good point. However, he may be trying to cover for his friends in the council. You’d want to avoid a corrupt system as much as possible, and so having him pick members for you wouldn’t be the smartest decision. The best possible combination would be to hire people you trust, with a fair mix of more accomplished members of council to help guide them and keep them in check while they learn.” 

Sunwoo nodded. “That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard all day.” He rubbed his forehead and turned to Eric. “You agree, right?”

Eric nodded. “Oh, definitely.” He smiled and turned to the chief advisor. The Queen’s advisor glanced to the council advisor for help, but the lead councilman only shrugged in response. “Jacob, you get his job.”

“Oh!” Jacob seemed startled. “Really?”

Kevin beamed. 

“You don’t have three votes,” protested the councilman in charge of the Medicine and Healing council. 

“Actually, I don’t need your votes for the chief advisor, since they directly serve me,” Sunwoo pointed out. “Shouldn’t you know that?”

“You just exposed your own incompetency,” Eric choked back a laugh.

The Medicine and Healing councilman glared. “I think I know my own competency.”

The council fell silent. The councilman seemed to realize his mistake.

“Did you just talk back to me?” Eric asked, thoroughly enjoying his position. 

“No, of course not, I simply—”

“Of course not, _Your Majesty,”_ Eric corrected. Sunwoo snorted. 

“You’re having too much fun,” Sunwoo muttered with a grin. He raised his voice to address the council. “You should be a bit more careful, councilman, considering you’ve got some tough competition.” 

The councilman swallowed. “Do I, Your Majesty?”

“Of course you do. The most talented healer in the kingdom is here. The Queen herself allowed him to stay here when you failed to find a pain reliever for the illness that took her life.” Sunwoo smiled as the council glanced at Chanhee, gossiping with Juyeon on the sofas behind the council seats. 

“Chanhee,” Eric called. The pink-haired faerie looked up. “Do you want a promotion?” 

Chanhee blinked. “Yeah, totally.”

Kevin and Changmin, along with the council advisor, vouched for Chanhee.

The councilman glared as he let the younger faerie take his seat. The rest of the council applauded.

“I really wish there was more women,” Eric sighed. 

Sunwoo arched an eyebrow. “Well, all the incompetent people are gone,” Sunwoo observed. Sangyeon, as the Captain of the Royal Guard, was not technically a council member, although he would be present at the meeting that afternoon. “So I suppose that concludes this meeting.”

The rest of the council sighed in relief.

“But you’re not home safe yet.” Sunwoo captured everyone’s attention again in a heartbeat.

“At any time, I can judge you incompetent just like the men who just lost their jobs. That doesn’t mean you have to always agree with me. Just do your job well.” Sunwoo turned to Eric, who gave him an encouraging smile. “We have a lot of work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know its probably a bit confusing bc i've overused "advisor", so:  
> chief advisor: gives advice to the monarchs  
> council advisor: head of the royal council, facilitates meetings when the royals aren't there  
> court advisor: acts as judge during trials and hearings  
> hope that makes things clearer lol  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	33. 33. Right the Wrongs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did someone ask for hyunjae backstory?  
> .... well, im sure someone did

33\. Right the Wrongs

Eric was five pages into notes when he raised his head from the desk. 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” asked his instructor, rising to immediate attention. Eric paused. 

He still wasn’t used to that title. It was strange to think that someone like him was held on such a pedestal. Even his reluctant instructor was attendant to his every need.

While his lesson so far wasn’t as boring as he feared— he found he actually enjoyed learning about history and government and culture— it was an outside distraction that drew him away from his work.

The private study bordered the Western Courtyard, and currently taking a stroll through said courtyard out the window were Sangyeon and Hyunjae. 

It was still so strange, the two of them. Eric couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. How had the Hyunjae who’d been willing to take over 500 whip lashings for his mate turn into a cold-blooded fae murderer? It just didn’t add up. 

What, exactly, had happened after his banishment 20 years ago?

“Nothing, I’m sorry.” Eric turns back to his textbook, mind swirling. He was studying the very laws that had torn Sangyeon and Hyunjae apart. The laws he and Sunwoo wanted to reconstruct and rebuild. 

Tear down the old and the ugly, replace it with the young and the strong. 

_3 years ago_

Hyunjae revelled in the shock in the judges eyes as the body crashed to the ground. Three knives, two embedded in each heart, another direct to the middle of the forehead, each thrown with deadly precision. Because Hyunjae never missed.

He couldn’t afford to.

The judges, speechless, turned to mutter among each other as they decided their scores for him. 

Hyunjae turned to face his audience as the crowd burst into a belated round of stunned applause.

While the rest of the hunter’s fair took place overhead— mostly booths and stands enticing potential members with free treats— the real treat was in the underground auditorium. Where hunters got to show off their skills in the hopes of being able to start their own crew. The judges before them held the power of their beginning.

And Hyunjae was about to find his new beginning.

“Perfect score,” one of the judges spoke, dragging his attention back to them. “Precise and exact, but not prolonged. A perfect kill, as it were.” Hyunjae swallowed his satisfaction. He couldn’t let pride get to his head, not now. The judge glanced at the others. She seemed to hesitate. “However….” Hyunjae tensed. “We did notice a certain affinity for violence. A passion, almost. Please keep this in mind in the field.” _The field?_ Did that mean he—

“Good luck finding your crewmates,” another judge told him, handing him his badge. 

Grinning, Hyunjae turned back around. The smile slipped off his face almost immediately.

The audience for the hunter trials was primarily adults. Those hungry for violence but not brave enough to seek it out themselves. Those who wanted to see how a faerie died, driven by pure curiosity and getting more than they bargained for. 

They watched him with wide eyes of wonder, in awe of his abilities. In disbelief that he could be so accomplished at such a terrible feat.

And then there was the pair of eyes that stared at him in terror.

Hyunjae found himself locked in those eyes, unable to look away.

They were fixed in the face of a boy no older than 16. It was a weekday, meaning this boy probably should have been in school. But instead, he was sitting in an underground auditorium, watching Hyunjae kill a faerie.

Unlike the other crowd members, this boy hadn’t clapped for him. He simply sat, in shock from what he’d seen. Or who knew what he was thinking. It could have been anything going on under those wide, dark eyes.

Hyunjae shook off the thought and headed up the stairs back to the main fair. Filled with pride at his victory, he set out for a quick, cheap lunch he could snag from one of the crews’ booths.

He didn’t make it very far from the arena before he felt a tugging at his coat.

“What?” Hyunjae snapped as he spun around. He froze.

It was the schoolboy.

“How did you do it?” The boy asked.

“Huh?” Hyunjae asked.

“How’d you kill them like that?” The boy clarified.

Oh. So he wanted to know the technique. 

Hyunjae sighed. While normally he would’ve been thrilled at the opportunity to gain a potential crewmate, this boy seemed too young and pure for the hunter life. Hyunjae might as well have some fun with it, though.

“Why don’t I treat you to lunch and explain it to you?” Hyunjae watched for the boy’s reaction. Was he dumb enough to accept such an offer from a stranger?

“Okay!” The boy accepted.

“What’s your name?” Hyunjae asked as they wove through the crowd.

“Eric,” he chirped.

“Okay, Eric. Why aren’t you in school?”

“I skipped!” Eric declared proudly. “To come here.”

Hyunjae raised his eyebrows as they reached a cheap food stand. “Really?” He ordered for the both of them and moved them to a table away from the crowd. “For the booths, or for what you just watched?”

“Well, I’ve never seen a real faerie before,” Eric said eagerly. “I was hoping to see one! And I did.” His shoulders seem to slump. “So, how’d you do it?”

“Well,” Hyunjae began to explain as the food was delivered to them. “Throwing knives are one of my specialties. The first weapon I learned to handle. So the next step was finding the location of the second heart, and the angle to throw both knives so the two hearts are pierced at the same time—”

“No, not that,” Eric said with a wave of the hand. “I don’t mean, like the strategy or the specifics of how you killed them.”

Hyunjae tipped his head. “Okay… so…?”

“I mean…” Eric swung his short legs under the table as he picked off Hyunjae’s fries. _“How_ did you kill them? Like how could you bring yourself to do that?”

Hyunjae blinked. Ah. So he meant the philosophical _how._

“I had to,” Hyunjae answered simply. “It was a necessary feat.”

“But why?” Eric seemed confused.

“It’s complicated.” Hyunjae was not about to get into his plan to assassinate the Fae Empress with this 16 year old.

“Hmm, okay,” Eric mused. “But that’s kind of a cheap excuse.”

Hyunjae blinked. Had he heard right? “It’s what?”

“People only say _it’s complicated_ if they’re too lazy to get into something,” Eric explained with a wave of his hand.

“I’m not _too lazy,”_ Hyunjae bristled. He crossed his arms. “Why are you asking me this, anyway? What’s it to you?”

Eric sulked. “Well… I wanted to know why hunters kill fae. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Because—” Hyunjae floundered to find the answer. “Some people do it because they fear them, or hate them, or don’t think they should live among us. Other people have a vendetta. They want revenge.”

“Which one are you?” Eric asked, eyes the most curious Hyunjae had seen them. He was leaning in now, hooked and reeled forward.

Hyunjae smiled. “I want revenge.”

He couldn’t get rid of Eric after that. The boy tagged along with him until finally, Hyunjae agreed to show him all the information he had on faeries. Eric had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, he learned.

He didn’t want Eric to become a hunter. It wasn’t the right path for him, he knew. Eric was driven by curiosity and wonder, not violence and hatred. If he went down this way, he’d end up just like Hyunjae.

Hyunjae needed to avoid that at all costs.

But Eric didn’t have an influence like Juyeon. He didn’t have the wise, patient voice at his shoulder warning him of the right choice, the smart choice.

So Hyunjae took Eric under his wing. He’d do the best he could, he decided. He’d keep his reasons private, he decided. They didn’t need to know the reason he was tracking a woodland fae clan.

He just had to find Sangyeon. He’d find Sangyeon, and convince him of his plan, and he’d help. He had to. 

He’d made a statement, hadn’t he? The bodies he’d left in their trail. “I don’t like what they did to you. See, I’ll prove it,” the corpses were meant to say.

But Sangyeon seemed to escape his reach wherever he went.

His Royal Highness Prince Sunwoo was in that clan, he knew it. Hyunjae’s starsight fae blood could smell the royalty. A good cover for anyone asking why Hyunjae was trailing them. For a hunter to knock out a royal… well, they’d become almost like royalty themselves, wouldn’t they?

But even with all the blood in the world on his hands, it wouldn’t accomplish his goal.

Not even with the help of the sweet, round-faced boy Hyunjae found as a victim of a fae-involved break-in.

Or the tall, aloof college student Hyunjae met while pursuing the trail.

No, even Haknyeon and Younghoon wouldn’t follow him to the ends of the earth without knowing his true reason. 

Then, a year after Hyunjae met Eric, the Woodland King died. Assassination, they said. How perfect… without her mate, the Woodland Queen wouldn’t be far off.

That bitch that took Sangyeon away from him.

His body ached every day from the weight of his scars.

The bounty hunter that killed him disappeared into the night. Hyunjae figured he would be a good place to start if he wanted access to the kingdom again. To right the wrongs he’d been dealt.

But Hyunjoon was annoyingly noble about honoring the secrecy about his contract. Not a word about who’d hired him, how he’d carried out the deed. 

And so Hyunjae was left on his own, watching Eric slip farther and farther away. He’d become far too attached for his own good. Asking if he needed help with his homework or a drive to the library. Like a fucking little brother or something.

Eric was his good conscious. But even the best conscious can’t save you from yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more of his motives revealed... is he forgivable? or is there no going back for hyunjae?  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	34. 34. The Way to a New Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> were getting elbow deep in politics this week, yall! strap in

34\. The Way To a New Future

“How was the meeting?” Eric was asking around a yawn. Sunwoo pushed his chair back from his desk and narrowed his eyes at the books on his mate’s table.

He was already pushing his limits. Well, of course that was from double the work load.

Not only did he have to catch up with nearly a century of Sunwoo’s instruction, he also insisted on attending school. His normal, human high school. He wanted to graduate.

So every morning, a small group of elite guards would chaperone Eric in a bulletproof car to his school and plant themselves around the school in disguise. Sunwoo worried over him, but more than anything he admired his work ethic and dedication.

Sunwoo had told him once that he’d used to want to attend a human school. It had been his wish before they moved to the city.

Then he’d encountered hunters. And he’d changed his mind fast. 

“It was good,” Sunwoo mused. “The council is surprisingly easy to work with.”

“Yeah, cause they’re all scared you’ll fire them if they step out of turn,” Eric pointed out.

Sunwoo snorted. “Well, they’re not scared to voice their opinions.” Most of the remaining council members were those who kept the peoples’ best interest at heart. The occasional voice of reason or disagreeance was helpful, but at the end of the day, they needed to be making productive decisions with positive outcomes.

“What’s the first thing we’re tackling?” Eric asked, leaving his work momentarily to stand behind Sunwoo.

“Us.”

“Hmm?” Eric blinked.

“We’re rewriting the laws specific to the Woodland Kingdom about human and fae mates, as well as the ones about royals needing a mate of the opposite sex.” Sunwoo dipped a quill into a nearby pot of ink and perused the scrolls before him. “I’m looking through the evidence that might oppose us.” 

Eric handed him a scroll that had been tossed aside. “You missed a clause here. Where it states that one of the reasons for the law is during war time, in event of a hostage situation, the Queen would be able to claim pregnancy and have her life spared.” He glanced down. “Don’t think I could fake that well.”

“Hmm… maybe not. But we’re hopefully looking at a future with no wars. We want to maintain our peace with the other fae kingdoms, as well as the human world.”

“Yeah, a faerie being pregnant might just be more incentive for a hunter to kill them,” Eric mused.

Sunwoo’s eyebrows raised. “Seriously?”

“I mean, it’s a two for one, right?”

Sunwoo shook his head in disgust. “Unbelievable.” 

“So what’s our stance? Like, our phrasing?”

Sunwoo templed his fingers. This was the moment they made history. When they proved that the woodland fae weren’t just stuck in their traditions. That they adapted, they would change and grow, while maintaining their values. 

“There’s a council meeting tomorrow.”

The council members took their seats, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves as they wondered what the kings would address first.

“You’ll be there with me.”

Eric settled in nervously onto the throne beside Sunwoo. The thrones where they accepted citizens as they came to visit, to bring gifts or ask favors of the monarchs. The thrones, the very seats where they would make a difference. Sunwoo reached over for his hand.

“And we’ll make our case.”

Sunwoo cleared his throat as the council members finished settling down. “Let’s begin, shall we?” 

They brought out all the evidence they had acquired. “First, let’s address the mating laws.” 

Sangyeon, standing at attention by the doors, straightened up in surprise. 

“For many years, the woodland fae have ruled it illegal for a faerie to be mated with a human, despite the mating bond being predetermined before birth. It is not something that discriminates between species or race. It exists as something higher and separate from what divides us fae from the humans. To deny mates from each other due to species denies part of our very existence as people.”

“There are reasons for this law, Your Majesty,” one of the more conservative council members spoke up. Changmin shot him a dirty look, and the councilman shrank back but kept talking. Sunwoo wondered just what kind of intimidation his friend got up to in the council meetings he wasn’t present for. “Keeping fae and humans separate is important for our preservation as a kingdom and to preserve the natural world.”

“Thank you for your contribution,” Sunwoo replied with a smile. “But I am going to ignore it.” _Because I’m the King, and I can get away with that._

The councilman bowed respectfully and sat back down.

“How would you go about rewriting the law?” Kevin asked. Sunwoo smiled at getting to see this side of his friends. The side that would help him change his kingdom for the better.

“I’m thinking less of a rewrite, and more of an amendment.”

Chanhee nodded. “Yes, that way it doesn’t change the fundamentality of how our government has been legislated. So we will amend the law to omit the section that forbids fae and humans from acting on their mating bond?”

Sunwoo nodded. The law itself was simply one that declared that all mates were to be respected regardless of origin(although mates of other fae races were not encouraged) unless the mate was fully or half human. 

“We have to take a vote,” Jacob reminded Sunwoo from where he sat closest to the monarchs. His quiet voice cut through the council room. “⅔ majority.”

“Of course.” Sunwoo smiled. “All in favor?”

Every single council member raised their hand. 

“That’s what I like to see.” 

The council advisor stacked his notes and said, “We’ll get right on it. Top priority, Your Majesty.” 

Sunwoo and Eric exchanged a smile. The first big step, cleared. 

“Next we will tackle the issue of royalty’s mates.”

The council held its breath. Sunwoo turned to share a secretive smile with Eric.

“They’re not going to like what we have in mind.”

Eric grinned. _“I_ like it.”

“I know you do.” Sunwoo squeezed his hand. He turned back to the council. “The biggest issue in preventing a royal from having a mate of the same sex is producing an heir. The next heir to the woodland throne must be of direct relation to the previous monarch. Of the monarchs on the throne, one _must_ have royal blood. Thus why my mother was able to keep her position after the death of my father.” 

The council kept their eyes on him, watching, waiting, wondering what step he’d take.

“First, we will lay our case on why this law should be overturned. Then, we will present our solution to the problem.” Sunwoo squared his shoulders. “As discussed in the previous law, all mate pairings are to be respected and treated equally. Couples of the same sex have never been an issue in the woodland kingdom. However, it is only a problem for royalty. This presents a double standard that separates royalty from the people. This is a dissonance that makes it so not all members of the woodland kingdom are actually following the same laws.”

“That’s a good point,” Changmin spoke up. “The people aren’t fond of the royalty’s laws. They are held to a higher, almost unfair standard. Of course, they are royalty, but they are woodland fae. Should they not have the same rights as the rest of us?” 

“That’s true, but it doesn’t solve the issue of the heir,” another council member argued.

Sunwoo held up a hand. Silence fell immediately. “We’re getting to that.” He turned to Eric with a smile. “With a former human as my ruling mate, I have the opportunity to gain inspiration from human cultures over the world.”

Several council members gasped. “Yes, that’s right. I took inspiration from humans for this plan.” Sunwoo nodded for Eric to continue.

Eric sat forward nervously. “One of the laws is that the heir must have royal blood. We plan to overturn that part as well.”

Sunwoo held up his hand again. This time, it took longer for the council to quiet down.

“While yes, a royal is trained and taught and educated for their entire life to prepare for leadership, it does not guarantee that they will _want_ to lead. The next leader should be someone with experience, who is fit for the role, but who is also willing to take on that responsibility. So that even if there _is_ a royal heir, they are not obligated to fulfill what is left for them by their parents.”

One councilwoman spoke up. “What are you suggesting here, Your Majesty?”

Sunwoo smiled encouragingly. All his faith, all his trust, channeled towards his mate beside whom he would change the tide of history. 

“A democracy.” 

The council exploded in disarray. The council advisor, as well as Jacob and several guards, tried to calm down the nobles. 

“The next rule of the woodland fae would be decided by a vote, both by the council and the courts, as well as the people. Because in ensuring our peoples’ voices are heard, part of that includes their leader.” Sunwoo glanced at Eric as he spoke, who beamed back at him proudly. “I know this is a big change. But—”

“The Woodland Fae Kingdom could use some big change,” Kevin agreed, ignoring the fact that he interrupted the King. While several council members gasped, Sunwoo just rolled his eyes and gestured for the man to continue. 

“Don’t think you can do the same,” Sunwoo warned the rest of them. “I’ll execute you.”

“Personally, I agree with their idea,” Kevin continued. “It really isn’t fair to a royal child to have their life center around their duty and responsibility. They should have the choice to change their life’s path, but if they want the role, then it will automatically go to them. If not, then an election will be held for all those eligible.”

“I agree with Councilman Moon’s point about having the heir take priority if they wish to have the throne. And if not, the council, court, and citizens will vote based off a panel of elected individuals. But what will the electing criteria be? Who can apply for such a position? Who is worthy?”

The council began to debate back and forth. “They’re engaged,” Eric observed. “I think they like the idea.”

“Or at least, it’s keeping them busy.” But the more Sunwoo observed, he saw Eric was right. The expressions on the council member’s faces were lit up in excitement. For the first time in probably a while, they were enjoying their jobs.

“I mean, all they do is pass laws, right? And give advice? It’s probably been a while since they got to concoct a new governmental system.” 

Sunwoo snorted. “All thanks to you, then.”

“Huh? What? How? Why?” Eric, flustered, glanced between Sunwoo and the court.

“Well, this was your idea.” Sunwoo grinned. “Alright, alright— here are some ideas for criteria I have, but I’d love to hear each one of your opinions.” The council members nodded excitedly, like eager school children who couldn’t wait to be called on.

“First, they cannot be like my mother. No one who prioritizes themselves, or tries to limit anyone’s rights. The candidates _must_ hold the peoples’ best interests at heart, and have progressive ideals.” Sunwoo glanced around the room. “Anything to add?”

“They should have at least ten years of political experience!”

“They must be nobility!”

Sunwoo shot down the second suggestion. “I think anyone no matter of social class should be allowed to run. We cannot limit those who might be eligible based off their level of privilege.”

Eric nodded. “But it’s a good idea to make sure they have hands-on experience in politics. Maybe not on the royal level, but even if they’ve had a position of leadership in their own town or court.”

“That’s right!” Kevin sat forward eagerly. “We as the council can review applications. Have the candidates write about their experience, and if we judge them worthy, they’ll be allowed to run!”

“That’s a good idea, but what then? What does running entail? How will the people know who to vote for?” Changmin argued. 

“Well….”

“In western human civilizations, the candidates debate on different topics to share their viewpoints on issues with the people,” Eric spoke up. The council was entranced. “It will give the citizens an opportunity to get to know the candidates. Also, if they involve themselves with the people and engage them, that will help.”

“Each must have a different stance, though. How can we decide between two people with the same ideals?” A councilwoman suggested.

The council advisor noted down everything suggested. They talked and talked for hours past the end of the council meeting. Eventually, Sunwoo’s stomach growled and he realized they’d missed the dinner hour.

“We beg your pardon, Your Majesties.” The council advisor bowed in apology. “We’ve kept you for too long.”

Sunwoo shook his head. “Anyone who wants can leave. Those who wish to stay and develop the idea further, I’ll have our dinner delivered here and we’ll eat while we work.”

The council fluttered in shock. Eating during a meeting? Unheard of. And royalty dining with the nobles, when it wasn’t a celebration or importance occasion? How unprecedented.

Not a single council member left the councilroom. Royals, nobility, and guards dined side by side, discussing the future of their government. 

The guards felt surprise. Never before had they been asked to contribute, their opinions valued. For the first time in a long time, they mattered.

The nobility felt flattered. Allowed to spend so much time, so informally, with monarchs who were paving the way to a new future. They were here to witness changes that would shape their kingdom for centuries.

The royals shared secretive smiles between bites of their food. They held hands under the table, watching their people set aside their different opinions and values to come together to build their way forward together. 

Because no matter their identity, origin, or beliefs, everyone shares a common interest. Food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo was this actually interesting to anyone? because it was super fun to write. but im curious if anyone actually enjoyed lol  
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	35. 35. New Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> merry christmas to all who celebrate! (i dont, im actually jewish)
> 
> as a holiday present, here's an extra chapter posted a day early! there will still be a chapter put up on the normal day tomorrow as well :-)

35\. New Heart

_21 years ago_

“Abolish all hunters!” 

“Equal rights for all fae!”

The protestor’s chants filled Juyeon’s ears, dragging his attention away from his grocery list. The fireborne faerie slowed his stroll and stopped to watch the protest.

There was a crowd gathering across the street. Traffic began to clog as people slowed to gape at the pro-fae statement. Dozens of— mostly young— men and women held up hand-made signs and shouted their demands at the top of their lungs. 

Curious, Juyeon crossed the street to get closer. The cop cars parked nearby gave him dubious glances. But Juyeon wasn’t looking at them. His gaze was fixed on the young man positioned near the front of the group. He couldn’t move his eyes away.

The man smelled strongly of human, but also distinctly of something else. Fae. Starsight. But, how could he be both…?

The man’s skin was tanned a lucious gold that matched the locks of his hair. His eyes blazed with passion, arms straining to keep his sign raised high. Juyeon was entranced.

He kept to the sidelines until the police forced the group to disperse. When he caught the golden man heading away from him, Juyeon peeled himself off his wall perch and darted after him.

“Um, hi,” Juyeon began awkwardly. The man turned to him with an arched eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“I just couldn’t help but pick up your scent.” Juyeon cringed at how weird that sounded. Luckily, the man didn’t seem entirely turned off.

“Yeah, I’m half-fae. You never met someone like me before?”

Juyeon shook his head. 

The man cracked a smile. Juyeon melted at the beauty of it. “I’m Juyeon,” he told the man. _And I probably sound like the stupidest person on earth._

“Jaehyun.” The golden man shook his hand. Juyeon never wanted to let go.

Juyeon told him he was interested in the protestors, and invited Jaehyun to have lunch with him. Astoundingly, the half-faerie accepted. 

They talked about anything and everything under the sun, and Juyeon felt himself slipping under Jaehyun’s trance. Surely, the other man must feel the same. Juyeon felt his hearts beating stronger and faster when he was around Jaehyun than any other time. 

Then he made what might have been the greatest mistake of his life. Did he regret it, though? Honestly, no.

Juyeon decided to introduce Jaehyun to Sangyeon.

He’d met the Captain of the Royal Woodland Guard by chance a few decades before, through an acquaintance. Okay, it was through Jacob Bae, who’d done Juyeon’s little sister’s gender reaffirming magic. He knew Sangyeon shared many of the same ideals as Jaehyun, and he couldn’t see the harm in introducing him to his friends. 

Jaehyun and Sangyeon latched onto each other almost immediately, but Juyeon, so blinded by his feelings, was oblivious to it. He spent their time visiting the Woodland Kingdom chatting with Kevin and playing sports with Jacob, unaware of what Jaehyun and Sangyeon were getting up to when they claimed to be researching in the library.

One day that he spent with Jaehyun, chatting about the current state of fae governments, was enough to make up his mind. Juyeon returned to his rooms and cut out his second heart, holding it in his hands, determined to make Jaehyun his.

He returned to the library, heart clutched to his chest as his remaining one pounded away. He held his breath and cracked the door open to make sure they would be alone.

They weren’t.

Sangyeon sat across from Jaehyun, holding his heart in his hands. Juyeon watched with baited breath as the man he was in love with leaned forward. Jaehyun took Sangyeon’s face in his hands, kissing his true mate with all the love his heart could bare.

Juyeon backed away from the door, scrambling backwards until his back hit the corridor wall. His heart fell from his hands, rolling across the hallway floor until it came to a rest against a black leather boot.

“You dropped this.” Chanhee’s voice was surprisingly clipped, monotone as always. Juyeon, too distraught to pay attention to anything but what he had just seen, took no notice of the way his heart seemed to glow in Chanhee’s hands. The rusty red color blushing a magnificent pink. He simply muttered his thanks and took his leave as fast as he could. 

And then Jaehyun was banished, torn from his mate just like the whip had torn through his back. Juyeon held him that night at his apartment, spreading a soothing balm into the raw wounds while Jaehyun writhed in agony under his touch.

There was no Sangyeon for him now. Only Juyeon. And he swore, he would never, _never_ abandon Jaehyun the way his mate had.

Jaehyun wasn’t as hurt as Juyeon expected. He was angry. He wanted nothing to do with the fae. Juyeon told him he’d stay with him forever.

How? You’re immortal, Jaehyun had reminded him. 

I don’t have to be, Juyeon had reasoned. If he stopped consuming anything containing faerie dust, used no magic whatsoever, removed himself from fae society, he would gradually become mortal. He’d be someone Jaehyun could always have by his side. He would do that much.

But it wasn’t enough for Jaehyun, Juyeon realized. He wanted revenge. But revenge was a fickle thing. It was a temporary satisfaction for a problem that would never truly go away. Because revenge satisfies you, but not what you take issue with. There is no answer to be found within vengeance.

“You could always become a hunter,” Juyeon made the mistake of suggesting one night. Jaehyun would clearly hear such a thought, realize its ridiculousness, and find that he’d been chasing violence too far.

But that lit a fire in Jaehyun’s eyes that burned brighter than Juyeon had ever seen.

And now look where it’d led them.

How many lives, how many innocents could have been spared had Juyeon put a little more thought into what he said?

No, it was likely bound to happen anyway, he assured himself. It can’t have been entirely his fault. 

But Jaehyun wanted to make a statement. Why should others live with their mate in peace when I can’t? What makes them different from me?

And Juyeon kept his heart locked in a box, waiting for the day it would find its home in another’s hands. 

But he didn’t need another. All he had was Jaehyun. He didn’t need anyone else.

Until Jaehyun walked into his store with his crew, and Juyeon saw Eric. Calling Jaehyun _Hyunjae,_ eyes filled with wonder and brimming with curiosity. And maybe not everything had turned out bad.

Now, Juyeon stared out the stained glass windows of the Woodland Fae Palace, clutching his heart in his hands once more, frightful of his rejection once again.

But this time… this time would be different. He knew it.

His thoughts were full of cotton-candy pink hair, begrudging smiles and tasteful eye rolls. Slim, delicate hands and a pale, slender body that would fit so perfectly against his own. How long had it taken him to discover what was before him all along?

_“You’re not coming?”_ The woodland faerie had begged in dismay when Juyeon initially refused to accompany them to the Woodland Palace. _“But— you have to!”_

_“I don’t have to do anything.”_ What was the point in seeing Jaehyun and Sangyeon reunited? He didn’t need that type of heartbreak on top of what he’d already suffered.

But those wide, pleading eyes had stayed in his brain until Jaehyun called on him as witness for Eric’s trial. And so he’d had to go.

And now, pacing outside the Council Room, waiting for the meeting to end, so he could whisk the man who occupied his thoughts aside and offer his heart. Put his life on a platter and offer it up to a man who scorned almost everything and everyone, but whose facade melted ever so slightly when he looked at Juyeon. 

Someone who’d been overlooked his whole life. But Juyeon saw him. He saw dedication to his kingdom that burned within those dark eyes, the power that was held at his dainty fingertips. 

The doors to the Council Room cracked open. Juyeon straightened up. It was time. He dipped his fingertips into the vial of faerie dust he was carrying with him. Closing his eyes, he let his fingers brush the source of his magic.

It was like a light flooding a dusty room, drenching all his senses overpoweringly. What he’d stepped away from for so long, thinking he was satisfying another. When he’d only caused pain for himself. 

Juyeon let his eyes open to the new light. Let the magic flow through his veins and restore what had been lost.

Heart in his hands, he marched forward to find Choi Chanhee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, finally, juyeon backstory! and he's finally found his mate!   
> looks like we're getting close to the end here. what do you guys hope will happen in the last few chapters??
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	36. 36. The Deepest Cuts Will Always Heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter on my normal uploading day!  
> this one contains a LOT of stuff happening. its a lot to go through. strap in, we're almost there!

36\. The Deepest Cuts Will Always Heal

Eric stretched his arms as the bell rang. Students flooded out the doors around him, chatting and rushing forward so they wouldn’t miss their next class. Eventually, it was just Eric, the teacher, and the two royal guards disguised as students left in the classroom.

Eric reached up to the top of his head. Graduation was just a few weeks away. While most students were worried about cramming for finals, Eric was worrying about leading a kingdom. The weight of the crown he wore stayed with him long after the wreath of thorns and roses was removed from his head.

The two sore spots that had begun to plague the crown of his head were particularly bad today. He’d gone to ask Chanhee about them yesterday. The healer took one peek under his hair and said, “Yep, those would be your horns.”

“My horns?” Eric asked, stunned.

“Yeah, they’re probably starting to grow in.”

Horns. Growing out of his head. Eric tapped his pencil against his desk. The teacher turned to him with a confused smile. “Is there something you need, Eric?” The guards rose to close ranks behind him.

He shook his head. “Nope, all good.” He wasn’t sure how much the teachers knew. Maybe they thought he just had really intimidating new friends. Or perhaps they knew where exactly he went once the school bell rang the end of a day.

Once his horns grew in, there really would be no going back, he thought as he stepped out into the hallway, guardings flanking him. Not in terms of his position, but more… his life. His parents. Who he hadn’t seen in months. Who still thought he was out hunting faeries as a hunter, probably. 

“You’re done with school for the day, Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace?” A guard spoke up. Eric paused and turned. The guards were smiling in a friendly manner, unlike the cold demeanors of the ones who usually protected the palace. 

“I’d like to stop at my parents’ house first,” Eric found himself saying. He shook his head as soon as the words were out. What was he hoping to do there? Would the guards even know how to get there?

“Of course, Your Majesty.” 

Eric felt eyes on him— those of his friends— as he left school and was accompanied towards the sleek black car they drove him in. Wyatt’s eyes burned into the back of his head. Wondering why Felix had never come back to school. Wondering if he moved away. No going back now.

The car ride was pressuringly silent. Eric tapped his fingers against his leg. Wondering what they’d say. Wondering how they’d react.

The car rolled to a stop outside his house. The last time he’d been here, he’d had to be carried out by Sunwoo and taken to the Woodland clan. The last time he’d been in his room was the first time he’d been intimate with Sunwoo.

Servants had been to the house since then, to retrieve his clothes and belongings, as well as the unicorn plushie he kept Sunwoo’s heart in. 

It was stressful, knowing one of his hearts tied to his lifeforce was kept somewhere unknown. But he knew in Sunwoo’s care, he had nothing to worry about.

“Can you wait here?” Eric tried, already knowing the answer.

The guards shook their heads. “Unfortunately, it is our job to accompany you literally everywhere.” The head guard smiled again as he got out of the driver’s seat. Broad shoulders and dimples and kind dark eyes. Chan, Eric was fairly certain his name was. 

The other guard was taller but more slender, and his sharp eyes scanned their surroundings before he mounted the steps to the house. “All clear.” Silver ponytail whipping around his head as he turned to face them. Hyunjin, if Eric remembered correctly.

Eric took a deep breath and knocked.

He stood for several uncomfortable moments before he heard footsteps on the other side. The door cracked open. It was his father. Fuck. This could be better or worse.

“Eric?” The door opened farther. He watched his father take in his appearance, the unfamiliar men beside him. “Where’ve you been? Who is this?”

“Is Mom here?” Eric’s heart hammered. His mouth felt dry, his palms slick with sweat. Suddenly he could find no words.

“Sure. Why don’t you… and your friends….” He glanced uncertainly at Chan and Hyunjin, whose faces had become masks of indifference. “Come in?”

The two guards remained at the entrance to the living room, keeping a respectful distance. Their swords and spears were out of sight, thankfully, or that’d be a lot more explaining on Eric’s part. 

Then Eric’s mother appeared at the doorway from the kitchen, and his eyes began to well from unexpected sadness. In the past few months, he’d had no time, he realized, to think about what he’d missed. 

She rushed forward and took him into her arms. “Oh, sweetheart! Are you okay? We were so worried when we hadn’t heard from you.”

Eric stilled. Could that be true? Why hadn’t they tried contacting him, then? His phone had been on the whole time. 

“I have something to tell you,” Eric began. “That’s why I decided to come back.”

“Come back?” His parents exchanged a glance. “Where did you go? Off with the hunters?”

Eric shook his head. “I’m not a hunter anymore.” He wondered how strong Chan and Hyunjin’s glamours were, that his parents hadn’t noticed the horns spiraling out of their heads. Soon, he’d have to start hiding his too. 

“What— why not?”

“What happened to the others?”

They hadn’t said anything, but Eric figured it was safe enough to say: “They’re not hunters anymore either.”

“What?” His mom frowned. “So the lot of you all just decided to stop being hunters?”

Eric nodded. 

“Well, why?” His father leaned forward. “You know we’ve always supported you as a hunter. It may be a bit controversial, but the less faeries, the better, right?”

Eric froze. Chan and Hyunjin stilled at the entrance to the room. Eric wondered how his father would react if he knew he’d just said that to fae royalty. 

Because now Eric felt something he’d never felt before, even after dropping his job as a hunter. His father had said something directly against his kingdom. Against his people. Eric felt angry. The families and citizens he was in charge of leading, of protecting, that he’d _sworn_ to protect. Eric’s fists clenched. The guards noticed his change in posture and took a warning step forward. 

“Actually, that’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Eric told them. “You’re really racist, you know?”

It’s not at all how he should have phrased it, and he held his breath. Before they could cry out, he barrelled on. “I’m mated to a faerie. A woodland faerie. The woodland prince, actually. Well, he’s not the prince anymore.”

His father shook his head in disbelief. “Just what are you trying to—” 

“Please let me finish.” The guards moved closer. 

His mom frowned. “Eric, your friends can, um, have a seat if they’d like.”

“We’re fine here,” Hyunjin said in a monotone voice. His hand inched towards his sword sheath. 

“And… well, it’s a long story, but basically—” Eric took a deep breath. “I”m fae now.”

His parents froze.

“Yeah. And I’m also a king. Of the woodland fae.” Eric nodded. “So yeah.”

His parents gasped. Eric glanced up, but they weren’t looking at him. He twisted around.

Chan and Hyunjin had removed their glamours, and his parents were transfixed by their horns. And the spears poking up from over their shoulders.

“I married into fae royalty, pretty much, and….”

“Didn’t we hear about that on the news?” His mother interrupted, turning to his father. Suddenly acting like he wasn’t there.

“Yes, I’d heard there was something about a transition of power in one of the fae kingdoms. Such a shame.” His father’s gaze was fixed on the guards. “But we don’t allow faeries in our home. So please leave.”

The guards didn’t budge. 

“But, Dad….” Eric glanced between his parents. 

“Eric, I have no idea if this is true. It sounds utterly ridiculous. But you’ve brought faeries into our home, and that is unacceptable. What happened to your dreams of being a hunter?”

“Being a hunter was never my dream.” Eric shot to his feet, and his guards immediately came to stand behind him. “But I’ve found the right path now. And I’m going to lead my people, and lead them well, and if you don’t want anything to do with me then that’s—” His voice trembled. “That’s just fine.”

He turned to leave, because what else was there left for him, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. Eric spun to face his father, who grabbed him by the front of the shirt and yanked him forward.

Immediately the guards sprung into action, spears drawn and trained on his father.

“Release His Majesty immediately,” Chan commanded in a cold tone so far from the one he’d used with Eric outside. “You have ten seconds.”

Eric’s father was a lot of things, but not stupid. He saw the deadly sharp tips of those spears and dropped his hand from Eric’s shirt.

“I’m sorry,” he said, eyes widened in fear. “I—” 

“This is why we hate faeries,” his mom spat. “They pick violence for everything.”

“You made the first move here,” Eric pointed out as the guards stepped in front of him protectively. 

“Oh, hardly,” his mom sniffed. “Just leave if that’s what you were going to do anyway.” 

Eric gave one last long look to each of them, before he turned and walked towards the front door. He stood in the entryway, on the other side of the door, leaving for probably the last time.

“Eric, wait.” The guards stiffened as they turned to see his father rushing towards them. “Please, I’m sorry. Now that you’re one of them, if it’s really true, I… just can’t bring myself to hate them. Please understand that it’ll take us some time. Your mother especially.” He squeezed his son’s hands in his own. “We can’t lose you.”

Eric swallowed thickly. “Okay.” His voice was hoarse. He had no words left.

“Okay,” his father said in response. He glanced nervously at the guards, and released Eric and stepped back. “Good luck.” He gave a wry smile, a knowing expression that followed Eric out the door and lingered beneath his eyelids. 

Eric’s eyes were blurring by the time he left the study. Alongside his royal instruction, his homework had been piling up more and more as he neared finals. The more Sunwoo fretted over his lack of sleep, the more it felt he needed to work harder. If only there were more hours in the day.

He pushed open the door to the library. Maybe he’d find some good resources here. Instead he found Juyeon, perched on one of the library tables, heart held in his hand. He didn’t seem to notice Eric come in. 

“Hi,” Eric said cautiously, never knowing how to act around Juyeon when he was lost in his thoughts. The last time… well, he’d gotten some answers, but Juyeon would probably always remain a mystery.

“Oh, hey,” Juyeon said in response. He didn’t take his eyes off the heart. Eric wondered what had happened that made him so entranced with it. It pulsed a lovely vibrant pink, so different than the last time Eric had seen his heart.

“What’re you doing with your heart?” Eric ventured to ask.

“Hmm?” Juyeon finally looked up at him. “Oh, it’s not mine.”

Eric paused. But… what would Juyeon be doing with someone else’s heart? How had he even gotten it?

“It’s Chanhee’s,” Juyeon explained at the lost expression fixed on Eric’s face. 

“Oh,” Eric said, although that didn’t make him any less confused. “Why… do you have Chanhee’s heart?”

“Well, he has mine,” Juyeon said, cracking a smile. Warmer and more genuine than Eric had ever seen on him. “So I figured it was only fair.”

It took Eric a moment to catch on. “Wait— so you guys are mated?” He feels something warm and fuzzy rush to his head. Juyeon— and Chanhee? 

“What about Hyunjae?”

Juyeon shrugged. “Well, he has Sangyeon, doesn’t he?” He traced his thumb over the heart carefully. “I figured it was about time I stopped pining over someone who was no good for me.” He paused. “Well, in terms of my own personal growth and shit, you know?” 

“But are you still...” Eric was having difficulty understanding Juyeon’s lifestyle. “Like, not fae?”

Juyeon grinned and shook his head. “No, I’m easing faerie dust back into my life. I’m gonna regain my magic, my immortality— everything. I hope.” He frowned. “Chanhee said it would work.” He smiled his dopey smile down at the heart again. Eric thought of how whiny Chanhee had been about Juyeon not coming with them to the palace initially, how sulky he’d been until Juyeon arrived. So he couldn’t say he was entirely surprised. 

“Well, I’m sure your mate wouldn’t lead you astray.” 

Juyeon eyed the books clutched in Eric’s grasp. “What you got there?”

Eric glanced down at his assigned reading material. “Stuff to return. Stuff to check out.” He sighed as he ventured down the History aisle. “So much to cover.”

“I’ll bet.” Juyeon propped his chin on his hand. “How’s being King?”

“Exhausting.” Eric paused. Was he allowed to say that? “Amazing, though.”

“Well at least you know you’re on the right path.”

Eric’s hand froze midair as he lifted a book to its proper shelf. The right path. He’d once left everything behind to find the right path. Had he finally found it?

He thought of the grateful faces of his people as he approved their requests, the joyful looks of the council members when he listened to their suggestions. The warmth of Sunwoo’s arms around him when he returned from a long day of work and study. 

Yes. Eric thought he had.

It was a few days before Eric was able to talk to him. Like, _actually_ talk to him. Confront him, ask about everything. Learn all there was to know about Lee Jaehyun, who’d shed his hunter identity and become who knew what.

They were sitting together in the grand dining hall, Hyunjae and Sangyeon. Eric hovered by them for a few moments before they noticed him. 

“Hey, Eric,” Sangyeon greeted him with a grin. They were holding hands across the long wooden table, Eric noted. 

“Hey.” Eric took a seat next to the Captain of the Royal Guard. “Could I talk to Hyunjae for a moment?”

“Yeah, course!” Sangyeon squeezed Hyunjae’s hand, ruffled Eric’s hair, and got up to leave them alone.

“Hi.” Hyunjae seemed nervous. He was fidgety, avoiding Eric’s gaze. “Congrats? I think?”

Eric squeezed his hands together.

“What did you want?” He asked, ignoring Hyunjae’s attempt at breaking the awkward silence.

“Huh?” Hyunjae’s nervous grin faded.

“As a hunter. What was the point?”

“Ah.” Hyunjae scratched his head nervously. “Well.”

“Was it just revenge?” Eric shook his head. “I can’t believe that.”

Hyunjae froze. He saw something, deep in Eric’s eyes, and the truth came spilling forth.

“I just wanted someone to see me,” he whispered, pain letting itself out through the tears in his eyes. “To know I was suffering. I thought— getting back at them was the best way to do so.”

Eric frowned. “Getting back at who? Innocent people who didn’t—”

“I know!” Hyunjae sighed. Hung his head. “I know they didn’t deserve that, and I’ll spend the rest of my life atoning for it. I know I don’t deserve any of the happiness I’m getting.” He hugged his arms to his body. “Sangyeon shouldn’t have taken me back.

“Did you ever stop loving him?” Eric asked curiously.

Hyunjae shook his head immediately. “Not possible. He’s my mate.”

“Really.” Was it actually not possible to… stop loving your mate? But then what about the previous Woodland Queen, who’d hated the King so much she’d had him assassinated?

Then he thought about the laws they’d just worked to abolish. How royals who had mates of the same sex, or who were humans, had to take a faux mate to replace them. Huh. So maybe there was more to that story than they’d thought.

But no one would ever know. 

“So what are you going to do now?” Eric wondered. “Stay here?”

Hyunjae paused. “Well… I can, right?”

“Of course!” Eric said eagerly. “Anyone who says otherwise will have to answer to me.” He puffed his chest and jabbed his thumb towards himself.

Hyunjae laughed. The grin didn’t fade this time. “I’m hoping to make myself as useful as possible. I was really passionate about fae equality before I became a hunter, so….” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I have a lot of experience defusing conflict. I know that sounds surprising, all things considered, but—”

Now it was Eric’s turn to laugh. “Well, if we ever need to pull some arguing humans and faeries apart from each other, we’ll let you know.” He paused. Thought about the raid on Sunwoo’s woodland home they’d pulled off. Wondered how different it would have gone if he hadn’t been there. Even after all the pain Eric had caused, he’d still managed to leave an imprint of good.

He reached over and squeezed Hyunjae’s arm. There was a lot more death and destruction left in the wake of the man before him, but even the deepest cuts will always heal.

Sunwoo was agitated the next morning at the council meeting. Eric leaned over to his throne while the council members got settled. 

“What is it? Everything alright?” He whispered, letting his hand rest against Sunwoo’s arm lightly. His mate took his hand and intertwined their fingers, squeezing lightly.

“Bad stuff to talk about.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I meant to tell you last night, but I couldn’t find you.”

Eric flushed. He couldn’t help it if he and Hyunjae stayed up late like they were little kids at a sleepover.

Sunwoo cleared his throat. “Okay, everyone, there’s something I need to address and I’m sure you’re all dying to know what I have to say on it.”

So the council members knew? What could they possibly know?

Unbidden, something he’d thought to be unrelated came to mind. Something that had stuck with him ever since he visited his parents’ home. Something his father had said. _Yes, I’d heard there was something about a transition of power in one of the fae kingdoms. Such a shame._

But how could he have _known?_

“Somehow humans have gained information about the change in monarchy. They know that new rulers have been appointed. And hunters plan on taking this as an opportunity.” Sunwoo swallowed. Eric reached over to take his hand again. “I believe they may plan on staging an attack of sorts. Here on the palace. Sometime soon.” He didn’t just sound stressed and angry, he sounded almost… disappointed. Like this interfered with some plans he’d had.

The council members began to mutter amongst themselves, but Sunwoo raised his voice over them. “We will fortify our defenses. We will stay alert. They are no match for us. With our allies from the other kingdoms, no hunters stand a chance against the strength of the fae.” Eric felt his heart swell at the words. This was his world now. His life, and his people.

While the council members broke into discussion, Sunwoo leaned over and whispered, lips brushing Eric’s ear, “Come to the Northern Courtyard by noon tomorrow. I have something to show you.”

So he _did_ have plans? Something, even in such a newly developed dangerous situation? 

Eric shook his head in bemusement. Sunwoo never failed to surprise him. Head held high in the face of danger. His people first, his mate first, happiness and safety above all.

Eric reached forward to interlock their fingers once again. He squeezed, tight. Always here. Always by your side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope this was able to close up a lot of loose threads and answer some questions. if not, let me know down in the comments and ill do my best to answer any remaining questions!  
> see you all next week for the final chapter >.<
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> thank you for reading, sunflowers!  
> ~Li


	37. 37. What the Thunderstorms Bring (Finale)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things come to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to the final chapter! we've come so far.  
> i havent actually read through this entire thing so there may be plotholes or plotpoints i forgot about and didnt address (there probably are)  
> i hope this wraps up the story well!

37\. What the Thunderstorms Bring (Finale)

Eric noticed something was different from the very morning. Stepping into the dressing room, the servants surrounded him with robes vastly different than those he wore to his lessons or important council meetings. 

These robes were more similar to the ones he wore to his coronation, except they were colored in earthy tones of green. A heavier layer of brown wrapped him on the inside with silky swaths of forest green draped over his shoulders and down his sides. They settled his crown on his head around where his horns would soon peak up past his hairline. 

“Why’s it hurt so bad?” He’d whined one night, Sangyeon the only one present to his dejection.

“That’s your skull reforming itself to fit the new part of you.”

“My skull?” Eric yelped, sitting up.

“Well, yeah. Happens to most woodland faeries when they’re, like, two. We’re not born with our horns.” Sangyeon snapped his book shut. “But yes, your bone structure does have to rearrange itself.”

Eric examined himself in the mirror. “Why so fancy?” He asked one of the servants curiously. Did it have to do with Sunwoo’s surprise?

The servants merely giggled amongst themselves and ignored the question. Eric sighed. Okay, so it was a secret, then.

Once properly dressed, Eric stepped outside their chambers to find a cohort of guards twice as large as the usual.

“Extra security,” Chan explained as they fell into position on all sides. “Due to the threat. We’re expecting an attack, but daily life will resume like usual.”

“Of course.” Eric couldn’t help but feel like the less capable one here. Shouldn’t he be the one explaining things to his royal guard, instead of the other way around?

_No,_ he shook his head. _I’m the King. I’m Sunwoo’s mate. I’m the one who deserves this._

He lifted his chin and pushed open the doors to the courtyard.

Of the four courtyards, the North one was his favorite. They were decorated to reflect each of the four seasons as expressed in the forest: South was summer, with trees of leaves bright green and flourishing undergrowth. East was spring, thriving with flowers and the most beautiful blossoms. In the West, trees shed their leaves year-round. Sunwoo had told him the West Courtyard was his favorite as a child, because it never lacked satisfying piles of leaves to jump into.

The Northern Courtyard was lined with a thin layer of snow, dusting the tips of the red-leaved trees. Blossoms bloomed, a thin layer of ice keeping their petals preserved. Eric always thought it looked like a slice taken out of time, perfectly captured and never-changing.

But today it was different. 

Sunwoo— along with the rest of his clan— stood waiting for him. There was a carriage, too, drawn by two white elk. Sunwoo was dressed just as nicely and formally as him. The rest of their friends beamed like they were all in on some great secret.

Sunwoo extended a hand once Eric reached him. “Shall we go?”

“Where?” Eric wondered.

Sunwoo grinned. “It’s a secret.”

Sunwoo fidgeted as the carriage made its way out of the courtyard, down the path away from the palace. Deeper, into the woods.

The perfect spot. Not quite like the place where they had their first kiss— it was too out of the way— but a spot just like it. It would be perfect. For Eric, everything would be.

Just like the ride into Fantasia, Eric had his face pressed up to the glass in wonder. Something Sunwoo would never stop loving about him: his ability to see the awe in the world. That wonder in his eyes was something Sunwoo wanted to keep for the rest of his life.

When the carriage came to a stop, Sunwoo exited first and held his hand out to help Eric down. The preparations were made, everything had been set up. All the place needed now was the two of them.

A path of flower petals laid out before them. Lilies, that grow after rain. At the end of the path, a woven flower archway. Just like the one he’d seen in human media. The rows of white chairs, for family and friends. Everything just as it should be.

And instead of the chief advisor who’d coronated them, Jacob stood at the end of the aisle, smile unable to contain his pride as he waited for the Kings of the Woodland Fae Kingdom.

“Oh, wow,” Eric breathed.

“The fae don’t do weddings,” Sunwoo explained, twining their hands together. “But I thought you deserved one.” 

Eric spun to face him, eyes wide and lips parted. “You arranged this? For me? For us?”

Sunwoo blinked. “Well, um, yeah.” He straightened his robes. “Wasn’t too easy, you know.”

Eric beamed. “Oh my God, really? Wow, this is _amazing…”_

Sunwoo laughed as Eric shot off to examine every detail. The rest of their clan settled down on the chairs, the guards assembled behind them. 

He was reminded of Eric as he’d first met him. Eyes wide with curiosity, drinking in every detail. Bumping into him everywhere, because they could never escape each other. Always meant to be. It made him smile, and feel so, so, in love, and maybe a little nostalgic too. How simple things had seemed back then.

And how lucky he truly was to have his mate by his side now. 

They were led down the aisle by Kevin and Sangyeon, who then took their seats as Sunwoo and Eric stood underneath the arch. Hands clasped, eyes locked on each others’. 

Saying their vows felt just like the ones at their coronation. Except those were for a nation. Sunwoo felt no doubts, no pressure, no overwhelming, stifling responsibility in saying these vows. They felt as easy as breathing. As easy as dedicating his life to adoring the man he treasured most.

After saying their vows, they kissed. The forest went still. The branches no longer rustled in the wind, the leaves halted their fluttering. The very trees held their breath to watch the couple.

They broke apart, smiling shyly at each other as if it were their first kiss all over again. The entire world at peace in that moment, just for them.

Then the moment was broken.

The ground began to rumble, startling even the guards frozen at their outposts. The trees began to shake, trunks rattling in place. Sunwoo lunged for his elkhorn swords. 

The clan was on their feet, assuming a defensive formation behind the guards to protect the Kings. 

“What is it?” Sunwoo called to the guards at the front of the formation. A few seconds later, several collapsed to the ground. Arrowheads buried in their hearts.

Sunwoo cried out and lurched forward. A guard grabbed him and hauled him back. “No, Your Majesty! We are under attack. It is their job to guard you. You must not be harmed.”

A swarm of hunters emerged from under the cover of the trees. Close to maybe four or five dozen. Outnumbering the fae forces, but they were humans. 

The guards yelled a battle cry and charged. It was almost comical how easily they felled the hunters.

A small force of guards surrounded them. “Your Majesties! We must get you to safety.” They began to herd Sunwoo and Eric back towards the carriage.

Sunwoo yanked out of their grasp. “Absolutely not. We’re outnumbered. I am the King, not a coward. I stay and fight beside my people.”

The guards were reluctant to obey, but there was a spark of admiration in their eyes.

Sunwoo unsheathed his swords and leapt into battle. The hunters clashed with their guards, and he ducked and rolled under their amateur attacks. They fought with swords and bows and bats, and they were cunning and outwitted the training of some of the newer guards. 

But they were no match for a royal. 

Sunwoo fought his way through until he was beside Hyunjae. The former hunter was exceptionally adept at beating back his ex-comrades, even more so because of his half-fae strength. 

The two of them fell into a rhythm side by side, covering each other beneath the cover of a towering oak tree. They didn't speak until Hyunjae grunted out, “Your left.”

Confused, Sunwoo turned a second too late to see a hunter lunging for him, a wooden arrow burying itself in the man’s chest. He glanced above him to see Jacob perched on a high branch, nocking another arrow into his bow. 

“Thanks!” He called up with a grin. Jacob gave him a curt nod and turned his attention back to Kevin.

The tide began to turn. And not in a good way. There were more hunters than Sunwoo had initially thought, he realized. More just kept coming and coming. More guards were slain, lying fallen on the forest floor. The spirits were watching, he realized. The more woodland fae fell, the more growth sprouted from the forest floor to absorb their bodies, taking their life force to join that of the forest itself. 

“Help us,” he spat. Hyunjae gave him a startled look. “If you’re watching, don’t just stand by. This is a threat to _your forest._ We have only wished to uphold your sacred nature, so please, _help us.”_

Hyunjae opened his mouth, probably to ask who the hell he was talking to, when the ground began to rumble once more. But this time, it wasn’t from the sound of pounding footsteps coming to wreak havoc. The very earth itself was splitting open.

Fights broke off as yelps of panic broke the air. In the chaos, Sunwoo searched for Eric.

He was holding his own fairly well against two hunters. He’d gotten ahold of a pair of knives somewhere. Probably from Changmin. Sunwoo shook his head. He always forgot Eric’s hunter background gave him battle experience. He had nothing to worry about.

He turned back to assist injured soldiers as the confused hunters regrouped. They ended up on opposite sides of the chasm as it continued to rip through the forest.

A warning boom echoed somewhere, far off. Sunwoo paid it no mind and continued to assist his guards. 

A startled cry made him spin back around. Still on their side of the chasm, the hunter who’d been leading the attack was locked in battle with Eric. Their feet skidded close to the chasm edge, sending pieces of rock crumbling off down into the abyss below. Sunwoo felt his heart clench. He took a step forward, but someone grabbed him. Hyunjae. 

‘Don’t,” he hissed, eyes blown wide with panic that matched Sunwoo’s. “You don’t want to risk distracting him. One wrong move…”

Sunwoo hated that he was right, but he nodded. He stepped back, eyes tracking Eric’s every move.

It was as if both sides held their breath, eyes locked on the tousle in front of them. Neither could cross the divide, neither knew who would prevail.

The hunter shoved Eric back, away from the chasm. Sunwoo couldn’t see the light turn on in Eric’s eyes, otherwise he might have understood his mate’s intention. Might have been able to prevent it before it happened.

But he didn’t. So he couldn’t. All he could do was watch as Eric lunged forward, ramming his shoulder into the hunter’s gut. The hunter was thrown backwards, feet skidding off the edge of the chasm and tumbling down into the gaping maw of the earth. 

And Eric, driven by his own momentum, who went barreling down after him into the abyss.

Sunwoo stood frozen in shock. No one on either side moved. Then, as everyone watched, just as if it had never been there at all, the chasm in the earth slowly mended itself back together and disappeared.

The booming sound from earlier returned. Much closer now. The storm clouds overhead thickened, swelling to the bursting point. Darkening the world to almost black, before a streak of lightning brought everything to light.

Then with a crack that could only be a battle cry from the spirits themselves, the sky split open and the heavens rained torrents down upon them.

Eric’s head was pounding. He sat up slowly, clutching the sides of his head as he regained his senses. He’d been unconscious, clearly. It was dark, and he could barely see a thing.

He reached out before him and felt an arm. A person! Desperately, he grabbed around until he felt a face. It was the hunter he’d fought with above ground. Dead.

He managed to climb to a standing position. All of a sudden, his surroundings were illuminated. 

He was in an underground cave of sorts, lit by fluorescent spots of purple and blue decorating the cave walls. As the cave narrowed before him, vines and trees of the same colors grew out of the ceiling.

Eric shook his head. He was definitely hallucinating. Either he’d hit his head _really_ hard or he was dead. 

“Hello, Eric.” There was a voice, a female voice, speaking to him from somewhere, but he couldn’t pinpoint where. “Please don’t worry. You’re not dead. I made sure of that.”

That sounded a little threatening, but he felt reassured. He began to feel his way forward, keeping a hand on the cave wall as he went.

“Where am I?”

“An underground cave, my dear.” 

Well, yeah, no shit.

“Where’s Sunwoo? What happened to everyone?”

“They’re just fine.” The voice was getting louder. So he was going the right way. As long as this person was a friend. “A little freaked out, of course, seeing you tumble into the earth like that. But it was quite a clever move. I can’t say I expected it.”

“How did I survive but he didn’t?” Eric stopped walking as the cave widened out. He’d reached a dead end, and the end of the road was lined with bean bag chairs and fluffy rugs in shades of burnt orange and deep red. He flopped down on one without an invitation. 

“I saved you.” Now the voice was right next to him. 

Eric turned with a yelp. 

A young woman with hair a dark, lucious brown, offset by horns a pale tan, leaned close to him. Her eyes swirled pitch black, her long robes the same earthy green as his. This wasn’t the Empress, to be certain. So who— 

“I’m the forest spirit.”

Eric blinked. What?

“Well, I’m sure you were wondering. Certainly Sunwoo told you about me, no?”

“Of course,” he breathed. “But— why—”

“My forest was threatened, so I had to intervene. Also, Sunwoo asked me to.” The forest spirit smiled. She crossed her legs underneath her and sat comfortably. “And then you tried to sacrifice yourself ending the battle, and I thought, well, I can’t let that happen, now can I?”

Eric shook his head, unable to comprehend. “But— are you allowed to choose sides?”

The spirit frowned. “Sides? Eric, I am not a spirit for humans. I am a guiding spirit for the fae. I thrive in forests all over the world, serving my people. I have no obligation to help them in their little battles, but when a noble leader asks me ever so kindly….” 

“But then… why’d you save me? Just because I’m a King?” Eric asked, beginning to relax.

The forest spirit laughed. “Oh, no, of course not. It’s not my responsibility to look after all the little royalty.” She waved a hand in amusement. “But I thought it’d be of great loss to the world if you were lost. After all, you’ve just barely begun to serve your people. I was quite looking forward to what you would accomplish!”

“Really?” Eric asked. “You’ve been watching us?”

The forest spirit nodded. “I watch over all woodland fae. You’re like my adorable little children!” She placed a hand on Eric’s head. “And you, especially. You weren’t born one of us, but you’re one now.” She adjusted the crown on his head. Eric hadn’t even realized it was still there. “You are dedicated to your people and preserving their wellbeing. And that of the natural world as well. You see, Eric, it is our passion for those around us that determines our worth as beings, as well as the choices we make along the way.”

Eric’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. How could he have not realized that, all along, the forest spirit had been watching over him? “Thank you,” were the only words he could find. The forest spirit smiled sweetly. “Wow. But— I should probably get back to Sunwoo. But, um. How do I get out of here?”

The forest spirit laughed. She pinched his cheek like an overbearing grandmother. “I’ll take care of that part.” She winked, and the cave around him dissolved away.

Aboveground, it was storming.

The pouring downfall swept the hunters away like a great flood. Waves rushed through the trees, washing them far, far out of sight. They split around the faeries and continued pounding forth like they weren’t even there. 

The guards clung to trees and leapt for branches, only to realize they were to be spared. The hunters weren’t so lucky. They were swept along with the flood and carried off to wherever the sea dumps its treasure.

Even after they were all gone, the rain continued. A furious thunderstorm unlike ever before, it soaked the trees as the faeries helped each other to their feet, attended the wounded, grieved the fallen. Sunwoo stood apart from them, staring at the spot of earth where Eric had disappeared. He’d tried to carve it open with his sword, but that had gleaned nothing but mud. Now, he stayed under the cover of the trees, staring out at the clearing.

“We’ve completed a perimeter check.” Sangyeon blinked the rain of his eyes. “All is clear. All hunters have been swept away by the flood.” There were still several inches of water underfoot, but nothing compared to the feet of water that had rushed through mere minutes before. Sunwoo stayed motionless, not daring to take his eyes from the spot from which Eric had vanished. 

“We’re ready to head back on your word,” Sangyeon continued calmly. “The soldiers have finished treating the wounded.”

“Head back?” Sunwoo’s eyes flicked to the side. “Eric has not returned yet.”

Sangyeon hesitated. “It is uncertain if he will, Your Majesty.” 

_Yeah, you better use that title. You’re on thin ice right now._

“There’s no harm in waiting longer.” Jacob swung down next to them. Apparently, perimeter check included the treetops, too. “After all, it wouldn’t look so great on us if we just left and stranded one of the Kings here, right?” He flashed a grin at Sunwoo and looped their arms together. 

Behind them, voices raised in conversation. Sunwoo had half a mind to tell them to be quiet. It was getting difficult to concentrate. 

The voices got closer. Honestly, who had the capacity to be excited about anything in such a situation? He turned and began to march towards them, determined to tell them off.

Changmin and Haknyeon were chattering away in a secluded clearing. Sunwoo rounded a wide pine tree and glimpsed who they were so excited about.

“Eric!” He shoved the others out of his way and lunged for his mate. Eric squeaked in surprise and wrapped his arms around Sunwoo in reply. “But—” He pulled back and cupped Eric’s face in his hands. “What happened? Where were you? Are you okay? How’d you get back?” He gave Eric no chance to reply, instead busying his mouth with peppered kisses.

Eric smiled and leaned forward. He buried his face into the crook of Sunwoo’s neck, nosing into the warmth found beneath the soaked layer of his robes. The rain began to lighten.

Changmin and Haknyeon backed off to give them some space. Soon, the two stood alone in the clearing as the sun broke through the clouds above them.

“I met the forest spirit,” Eric breathed, still unable to believe the truth himself.

Sunwoo’s eyes shot wide in disbelief. “You _met her?”_

“Yeah! She caused that big rip in the ground and saved me when I fell!” Eric bounced on his feet. His life really _had_ became its own fantasy novel. Complete with Prince Charming.

“She… saved you….” Sunwoo seemed dizzy. Eric pulled him closer. 

“Are you okay?”

“Just confused, but that’s no different than usual.” Sunwoo grinned at him. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

Eric laughed and threw his arms around him. Around them, flowers burst into life, soaking up the rain and the new promises it brought. The forest came to life, trees stretching their limbs out and shaking off the raindrops. 

“I could never have imagined we’d end up here when I first met you.” Sunwoo brushed the damp hair out of Eric’s eyes and gazed down at him in pure adoration. He reached up and plucked a pale pink blossom off a low hanging branch and tucked it behind Eric’s ear. Fresh blooms, new life appearing in the wake of a storm. After everything is reset, there is room for change. After any amount of loss, any thunderstorm that shakes up the sure path to victory, there is a chance to grow. Eric beamed. “And I’m so thankful for everything we’ve been through together.” 

Eric leaned forward and rubbed their noses together. “I’m thankful for you too.”

He was thankful for the people he’d met, the friendships he’d made. He was thankful for meeting Sunwoo, for discovering the right path and finding his true calling. He was thankful for the future they would pave together, the light they would bring to their people and all who deserved righteousness and peace. 

And he was thankful for what the thunderstorms bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone for sticking with this story and providing me with support and motivation to keep writing!  
> stay tuned for a special epilogue coming soon :-)
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> follow me on twitter <3  
> @jisundrop  
> thank you for reading, saplings!  
> ~Li


	38. Thank You and Epilogue

After uploading the last chapter yesterday, it really hit me that this fic is over! This is the first fanfiction I've ever written and completed, and it's definitely thanks to everyone who read it and showed me support. Knowing that I had someplace to show my work gave me the motivation to keep working on it.

I'll definitely continue to work on fics and post more in the future! I'd love your help deciding on where to go next.

Thank you to everyone who supported Thunderstorms, and an extra thank you to everyone who left comments and nice words!

As a special thank you gift for supporting my first baby, here's a cute little epilogue <3

(Refer to chapter 20 for some context).

Epilogue

“You sure we won’t need even one guard—”

“Trust me,” Eric assured, pulling Sunwoo forward. “We won’t be in any danger here.”

It was about 7:30 in the morning, Los Angeles time. Sunwoo was still adjusting to the time difference, as he’d never flown in a plane before. The experience had been terrifying.

For him, that was. For Eric, it was utterly hilarious. 

He glanced down at the pair of tickets in his hand. Bounced excitedly on the soles of his new sneakers. Adjusted the straps of his backpack on his back. The line in front of them stretched nearly a hundred people long. All waiting to enter the park, glimpse the sights and sounds and smells of man-made magic.

“You sure you put on enough sunscreen?” Sunwoo fretted as they moved forward.

“Yes, yes, I’ll be fine, we can always use faerie dust to fix me up no matter what happens.” He adjusted his baseball cap over the small horns that had begun to sprout up over the past few months. 

They scanned their tickets and the cast member waved them in with a bright smile plastered over her face. They stepped forward into Disneyland, Eric’s eyes almost as wide as his dropped jaw. “Wow,” was all he could say. “It really _is_ like Disney movies come to life.”

“So what do we do?” Sunwoo squinted down at his map. “What _are_ all these things?”

“Rides!” Eric cried eagerly. “Come on, let’s do Peter Pan!”

“Peter who?”

“It’s based off the movie—”

“Do I know him?”

“....No. Come on, the line’s gonna get super long!”

“Is there a Little Mermaid ride?” Sunwoo asked, jogging along with Eric as they passed beneath Sleeping Beauty’s Castle on the way to Fantasyland.

“Well… that’s in the other park.”

“There’s _another_ one?” Sunwoo’s head whipped around, unable to take in the great majesty that was Disneyland all at once. 

Eric laughed. “A lot more. Come on, come on, come on!”

Sunwoo was not a fan of rollercoasters. But Eric only found that out _after_ Thunder Mountain, not before.

“I don’t understand how it functions,” Sunwoo pointed out while reluctantly in line for Space Mountain. “There must be some sort of magic!”

“Just the magic of physics!” Eric replied cheerfully.

Sunwoo snorted. “Yeah, right. Like your human science has the power for something like this.”

“I promise it’s just basic physics, man.”

Sunwoo ended up adoring the parades and insisted on buying Eric every little balloon and souvenir he set his eyes on.

“Can we afford this?” Eric eyed the bags dubiously. “Are royals rich in the fae world?”

Sunwoo laughed. “Oh, you have no idea. Human currency is so trivial.”

They stayed for the remainder of the day. After parades and shows, they settled in New Orleans Square to eat beignets and watch the fireworks. 

“I’m really glad we came,” Sunwoo spoke up. 

Eric beamed. “Yeah? You had fun?”

Sunwoo shook his head. “I mean— yeah, I had fun. But I loved watching _you_ have fun even more.” He propped his chin on one hand and gazed down at Eric in the glow of the string lights. 

“Well, I….” Eric fidgeted under the intensity of his gaze. “I’ve always wanted to come here.”

“I know.” Sunwoo sipped at his mint julep. “So what better place for a honeymoon?”

Eric choked on a Mickey Mouse shaped beignet. “A what?”

“Well.” Sunwoo spread his fingers on the table and stared down at them. “Isn’t it?”

Just the two of them, spending the day at the Happiest Place on Earth. The most magical.

“Of course!” Eric stuffed the rest of the doughy dessert into his mouth. “What do you say, should we hit up Indiana Jones after this?”

Sunwoo blinked. “But— the fireworks! It’s so romantic right now.” He reached for Eric’s hand.

“Yeah, and the lines’ll be super short! That’s _extra_ romantic.” He pulled Sunwoo up and tugged him forward. “To Adventureland we go!”

Sunwoo sighed and shook his head. He caught up to Eric and dampened his roller coaster induced nerves. “Everyday’s an adventure with you,” he muttered. And he meant that romantically as well as dreadfully. But as long as Eric was smiling, he would stomach Indiana Jones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for getting this far! to everyone who read, thank you so much <3  
> as for what i've got planned moving forward, i've already finished the sequel to soleil et pluie and that should be going up sometime this week (hopefully)  
> moving forward, i'd like some feedback: please help me by commenting down below!  
> would you prefer to see oneshots (ship-focused, probably some angst) or longer chaptered fics like these (bigger conflicts, more of a focus on plot than relationships)? both would be a mix of tbz and skz, as that's who i primarily write. i've got some ideas in mind for all of the above!  
> let me know and thank you all once again! <3
> 
> signing off for now,   
> ~Li


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